Kirk Waithe then and NOW

The prospect of a third political party swaying potential voters on noble principles such as transparency and accountability has been tried and tested during the last 58 years since TT became independent. Except for the NAR in 1986, no other has been successful.

There are over 150 political parties registered with the Elections and Boundaries Commission, some never even got off the ground, while others vanished after predictable defeats at the polls.

Kirk Waithe is no stranger to the public, having launched Arrive Alive in 2005, to create a greater sense of awareness among drivers and other road users aimed at reducing road carnage. The organisation is now recognised internationally, according to Waithe, and other countries consult it for guidance in reducing road carnage.

Waithe went on to form another NGO in 2010 – Fixin TT – which has been behind numerous campaigns seeking answers on several issues including the behaviour of sitting politicians, acquisition of a fast ferry and the “militarisation of the police service.” So why does NOW, a political entity recently formed by former road-safety activist Kirk Waithe, an agronomist and a yoga instructor, among others, feel they have a shot a governing the country?

The time is ripe for change, according to Waithe as he predicts with a sense of certainty that people are yearning for an alternative.

In an interview last Thursday with Sunday Newsday in Belmont, Waithe referred to motherly advice as one of the reasons for jumping into the political arena – if you want to get something done right, you’ve got to do it yourself.

“The only way to get this done is to become the political directors of the country and that is why we decided to do this now.”

What would be your next step, when the polls close and all your candidates lose their deposits?

“My mind does not work that way; we don’t plan to lose; we work to win.”

But how does NOW intend to make any significant impact in so-called safe seats of the two main political parties and overcome the tribalism associated with them?

He says there is enough discontent against both the ruling PNM and the opposition UNC, based on their mismanagement of the country and failure to eliminate corruption as a way of doing business in TT.

On campaign finance legislation, courted on political platforms for decades, Waithe says, in the absence of any laws, NOW will publish the name or entity of anyone who donates $25,000 or more to the party and there’s a limit of $500,000.

Those funds, he said, would be used primarily in fixing neglected communities across TT.

“A NOW government will be equally beholden to every citizen of TT because the way that we will be funding this campaign is going to the people of TT, when we all do a little, we invariably will end up with a lot.”

Why should someone vote for a NOW candidate?

“We have major challenges that require bold, not old ideas and we will be presenting that to the country. The narrative about splitting votes is something that both major political parties use to perpetuate the tribalism that they have historically encouraged. We believe that economics transcends all because this is one of the richest countries in the world, it was, it still is and it still will be.”

“We are too rich to be so poor.”

To emphasise his point, Waithe referred to instances where the basic needs of people are not being fulfilled.

“Whether you are from Laventille West or Caroni East, in a country as rich as TT you could go to a hospital and not be guaranteed a bed; you could go to a bus stop and not know when a bus passing, you could walk out your house and get shoot. Those are all issues that face poor economies. And this was one of the richest countries in the world.”

Does he believe most people would buy into principles of good governance, transparency, as opposed to those who prefer to get things done on the side – something which has now been formalised for some as part of the culture in doing business in TT.

“Suggesting that corruption is a part of our culture is fundamentally wrong. Because when you suggest that corruption is a part of our culture, you are saying it is a cherished value of Trinbagonians. It is not. Most people in TT are good people who do the right thing. For example, we complain about people driving on the shoulder. Most people do not drive on the shoulder. People drive in their lane. Most people do not pay bribes. Most people do not kill; most people do not rob. Most people in TT are good, law-abiding citizens who do and want to continue to do the right thing. We have some very flawed systems that practically facilitate the minority that wants to engage in the wrong things.”

Waithe opines that corruption accounts for the loss of more than half of the government’s expenditure and blames it for all of the inefficiencies in public services such as health, education, transportation, infrastructure and even the high murder rate. He says a lack of options has led to the success of the PNM and the UNC being in power and accused both administrations of failing to deliver on their mandate to ensure accountability in governance.

He admits that there may be a few familiar faces in his political entity but by and large it’s new and fresh and the party intends to contest all 41 seats, all of which he defines as marginal.

Each constituency will be asked to offer up their best candidate to be screened by the party and once successful at the polls, the members of Parliament would, for the most part, be just that, members of Parliament, Waithe said.

Asked how the party will deal with some areas which are influenced by criminal gangs to ensure the selection process was not tainted?

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“The good people will throw up their candidates. We are not interested in sitting down with any gang leader or so-called community leader. We interested in talking with people who have a genuine interest in developing and furthering their community’s needs.”

Waithe is considering contesting the Tunapuna constituency, which has been a deciding seat in past general elections. He says the shift from activist to a politician is a selfish one.

Just as Arrive Alive aimed to reduce road carnage, so too was his #hireonemore initiative. Waithe remains optimistic “to live in the TT that I dream of and that I know it could be while I am still young enough to enjoy it. So, I in this for me and if we get it right, my children will benefit. Everybody should be in this for them. This is an amazing space, and this is not as some political pundits try to describe it as, this is not, a failed state.”

At the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) development at Awai Lands, in Belmont, he said he paid out of his pocket for gravel, steel, blocks and cement to help rebuild a broken perimeter wall that poses a security risk for the 150 residents for over 15 years.

He has also written to the HDC seeking permission to repair the malfunctioning floats in some of the six 1,000-gallon community tanks so that their three-day water inflow does not go to waste.

Waithe and his team have been canvassing some PNM strongholds as well as venturing into UNC heartland to sell their ideas of ending corruption in governance. He says the feedback has been overwhelming. People want change, he said, and believes the mood of the country signalled that the time was right for a new vehicle to traverse the corridors of power.

He likened his transition to the formation of his own company, Total Convenience Management, an auto rental, roadside assistance firm, which came into being 20 years ago.

“I know how to build a team. I know how to put a team together. I know how to succeed. We know how to create employment. We know how to turn this around. And it starts, as I said before, with good governance.”

Among the interim executives of the party are John Borely, Lou-Ann Maharaj, Vincent Patterson, Nicole Martin and Josef Paty.

He says he is in it for the long haul and the only option for him is to fix TT.

“I love this place, and I am in love with this place, and we gonna fix this place.”