Dinosaur politicians in the internet age

THE EDITOR: The People’s National Movement (PNM) and the United National Congress (UNC) are two anachronistic parties that belong to a bygone era.

Eric Williams founded the PNM in 1955, which makes it a 68-year-old fossil. Some three score plus eight years later, the party’s age shows with outmoded policies that reek of antiquated ideas. It has not kept up with the modern method of governing and still clings to political patronage that went out generations ago. Moreover, it is led by a Prime Minister showing his age.

Although younger than the PNM, the UNC also shows its age at 33 years old. Like PM Rowley, the leader of the UNC is a septuagenarian. Their age is showing despite attempts to appeal to a young populace by bringing into the parties inexperienced associates. But, as they are acutely aware, the voting base of both parties is comprised of the middle-aged and the elderly, and unknown and untested parliamentarians will serve to alienate voters.

As long as the PNM and UNC continue to dominate the political landscape, TT will forever stagnate in a cesspit of their making and their ineptness hidden from the public’s view until they are removed from office. Tobago is a prime example of how the PNM governed that island from its inception. Now that it is gone, the new party is uncovering years of malfeasance hidden because of a lack of accountability. Imagine what a new party would find in Trinidad.

Every aspect of our lives is dictated by party loyalists and cronies of the PNM (and the UNC, to a lesser degree, in its respective districts). All the heads of departments from the police, public housing, roadworks, water, the post office, and even the Central Bank are staffed by PNM cronies and supporters. As far as the PNM is concerned, whatever their cronies do is beyond reproach and will never be investigated as long as it remains in power.

But how is that even possible, one may ask? Isn’t there a system of checks and balances? No, there is not. Moreover, everything these PNM staffers do is scrutinised by their lawyers and accountants to ensure that all the i’s are dotted and all the t’s are crossed if, in the unlikely event, the voters decide enough is enough and boot them from office forever.

So why not replace them with the opposition UNC? We’ve tried that, but it also has its lawyers and accountants who will use the same existential, slipshod governance practices the people suffer under to do the same thing the PNM has done for all the years it controlled the Treasury.

We need to use the Tobago election as an example of what can be done to save the nation from one disastrous party after another. But, first, the people need to clean the slate by harnessing all the minor parties vying for control and giving the Treasury back to whom it belongs – the citizens. To do that we must make voting more accessible for all citizens. Furthermore, we can learn from the Swiss, who practise direct democracy and use referendums, not parliament, to vote on all critical issues.

REX CHOOKOLINGO

rexchook@gmail.com