Choosing the right candidates

THE EDITOR: As a citizen and businessman for 60 years, I am burdened to share some points with readers with the hope they could assist in guiding voters to choose candidates who can manage this country.

Martin Luther King Jr said, “Oh God, help us walk together, pray together, sing together and live together until that day when God’s children, black, white, red and yellow, will rejoice in one common band of humanity in the kingdom of our Lord. Amen.”

To my fellow citizens, the election bell has rung again. Be on the alert. Any politician that comes to you with race talk, be it red, white, yellow or black jersey, stop them immediately. Let them know that after 58 years of being an independent nation, we are one rainbow country, rainbow people and a rainbow nation. We cannot afford to continue the discriminative divide for political gain.

The world economy is facing perhaps its biggest challenge ever and TT is no exception. We are dependent on oil and gas. In 1970 when our economy changed to an energy-based one, we dropped agriculture like a hot potato and today our food production has decreased to a meagre two per cent of GDP.

Let the politicians tell us how they intend to reinvent our economy to regain the lost revenue from oil and gas. What are the plans for diversification away from energy? As an example, any suggestion that is put forward for export that does not include at least 75 per cent of local raw material is impractical. And may I be so bold as to suggest that it will be a waste of time.

I remember that we tried to manufacture cheese and it did not work because 90 per cent of the milk input had to be imported. Let the politicians know how comparative advantage works; we have to look at items like cocoa and coffee that allow our country some level of control over our destiny.

Ask the politicians to guarantee that they will stop kicksin’ in Parliament and abusing one another with our children looking on at them. Let them show you that they are not corrupt. Maybe they can change the name from opposition to consultants and advisers.

Let covid19 be a lesson for all of us and never allow a situation like George Floyd’s death to develop in our beautiful country, be it in Laventille, Caroni or Scarborough. Police brutality must never happen. We must introduce laws that will ensure it is prevented at all times. Let us start by acknowledging that every human life matters.

I suggest that citizens stop wearing red, yellow, white, green jerseys to identify which party they belong to as this creates a sociopolitical divide. Why not wear a black jersey with the name of the party in white only?

I implore all 18 to 98, whatever your age, please go out and vote. Our future depends on you.

BALLIRAM MAHARAJ

via e-mail