It’s all about the human factor

EDITOR: In seven days Vincentians will make a decision to forget or not forget the reason or reasons why we ended the 17-year governance of our country by the New Democratic Party (NDP) and chose the Unity Labour Party (ULP) on March 28, 2001. In truth and in fact, all other reasons should be deemed Political Gainsay by the NDP to return to office.

As a people wanting what is best for our nation, we must begin with governance: Upholding and strengthening the laws by which we are governed and the will so to do no matter come what may. In short, whether this happens or not will be determined by the character of the people we choose next Wednesday. It is all to do with the human factor.{{more}}

The last General Elections were held here on March 28, 2001. To date, I have not heard in public or in private a single nasty thing relating to the conduct or character of the persons whom we elected. With all honest modesty and respect, the same cannot be said of the 1984 to 2001 governance of the Mitchell-administered NDP regime, scandal-ridden to say the very least.

Vincentians who are tempted to support the NDP next Wednesday should consider removing that gloomy mask of tragedy, however briefly, if only to reflect on at least one of the things that have emerged from the Ottley Hall Enquiry.

All of the NDP Parliamentarians – save none, who have so far gone before the Commission of Enquiry with the Bible in their hand and in front of the television cameras – swore to God that they knew nothing about what was going wrong with the Ottley Hall Project. For almost 17 years they were members of the Cabinet. It’s about that human factor.

Perhaps the most intriguing thing about this election is, that those just mentioned former NDP parliamentarians are now seen as elders with wisdom, with the necessary qualifications to nominate candidates for next Wednesday’s elections. The thing does not stop there, to cap it all the founding father of the NDP was Prime Minister and Minister of Finance for almost all of the 17-year life of the party. He now has the required competence to put a stamp of approval on the party’s slate of candidates.

The New Democratic Party (NDP) is serving up for Vincentian consumption a slate of candidates many of whom have been with the party from its birth. Disgruntled, a way out has to be found, if only amongst the Breadfruit Mentality people. They say the ULP government is corrupt – big time, they promise the nation that if they are elected they will investigate and punish. If there is truth to those accusations they could count on the support of the masses of Vincentians.

In the above equation the NDP is facing a very simple ethical problem. They would need to order a pretty large stock of morality – that done – complete the Ottley Hall Enquiry then deal with the Unity Labour Party.

In the absence of that, take the fool a little further.

Stanley Quammie