Electoral preparedness

Fri Feb 7, 2014

Like a professional starter, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves last Sunday put his political troops on the alert for the next general elections by signalling, “On your marks…..” Unlike a professional starter however, the one signalling the start of the race is himself participating in it, one of the unfortunate and unfair legacies of the Westminster parliamentary system handed down to us.{{more}}

The Prime Minister’s early signal came when he addressed the 20th Annual Convention of the Unity Labour Party (ULP) in his capacity as Political Leader. The Convention had been postponed from December last year and followed that of the opposition New Democratic Party late last year. Both Conventions fundamentally seemed to be about the rallying of the flock in preparation for the next general elections, constitutionally due no later than March 2016.

It seems like a long way off to be on election watch but so intense has been the rivalry of the two parties that since the elections of 1998, the last one in which the NDP tasted victory, our country has been virtually on a permanent political war footing. Hardly a week passes without some call from the Opposition for the holding of general elections irrespective of the circumstances.

The annual Conventions of both parties always tend to have much more of an electoral, rather than a strategic purpose. The Conventions will perhaps best be remembered for the featuring, on both platforms of political defectors from the opposite camp, though in very different roles. The NDP had a card-carrying member of the ULP, diaspora-based Ms Luzette King, as its featured speaker. Whether this was to indicate any new “openness” on its part, was not indicated. In turn, the ULP welcomed former strong critic of PM Gonsalves, Frank DaSilva, himself a card-carrying member of the NDP, even though he reportedly described the governing party as “the lesser of two evils”.

Had these developments on both sides indicated a new era in politics, a more inclusive phase, it would have been most welcome. Unfortunately they smack of much of the politics of old where “renegades” are cherished, sometimes more than the party faithful. It happened in the days of Joshua, Cato, Mitchell right to today. What does it say to the faithful?

So we are in for up to 26 months of the intensification of the rivalry. The ULP, buoyed, by a recent poll from respected Caribbean pollster, Peter Wickham, giving it the edge in an electoral battle is no doubt pressing home its perceived advantage. It has clearly earmarked leadership as the gangplank of its campaign and is targeting the NDP leader, Mr Arnhim Eustace.

The NDP, not lacking mass support, seems to be playing into the hands of the ULP, relying on its party faithful, too eager to vilify any who may disagree with its line and appearing petulant at times. It will have to reflect deeply on its tactics if it is to win the middle ground so essential to victory at the polls.

The saddest aspect of the political battles is that the debate on the major economic and social issues, strategic thinking about the way forward for a tiny country like ours in the current global and regional environment is lacking. To be fair, the Prime Minister has set out his philosophical and strategic thinking in his major speeches and policy documents. It would enrich the climate, enhance the debate and edify our citizens if the Opposition would take this high ground as well and give thoughtful responses and alternatives to such issues as the National Development Plan, the 2014 Budget, the OECS Economic Review among others.