Party politics and Sunak

The current nominations and controversies over the December 4 elections in the People’s National Movement (PNM), while a welcome display of party democracy, also show how the route to such democracy requires courage and persistence by contenders facing incumbents.

Prime Minister since 2015 and facing three challengers now, the PNM leader, 73-year-old Dr Keith Rowley, called the contest a “life-and-death matter.” One contender, former PNM finance minister Karen Nunez-Tesheira, pledges to “strengthen the party” and make it “more connected to the people to retain national governance.”

Another, attorney Ronald Boynes, said he is contesting to “save the democracy of the party and country” since a “profoundly worrying state of affairs now exists.” Any specific policies, alternatives?

Community activist and contender Junior Barrack “became very displeased" with Dr Rowley because “he has failed the bottom of the social and economic ladder.”

Look, beating an incumbent leader is not easy especially with split votes. How will the party behave after December 4?

The campaign for the party executive began too late. Part of the reason repeatedly given by Ms Nunez-Tesheira is that outside contenders were not provided with the full list of PNM members, addresses and numbers to conduct their constituency campaign. She also complains about the extended period of voting and ballot-box safety, which Anthony Roberts, chairman of the party’s Elections Supervisory Committee, tried to rebut in his October 1 press conference. Ms Nunez-Tesheira remains dissatisfied.

There were instructive party dynamics in the UK when, under party and opposition pressure for misbehaviour in public office, 58-year-old Conservative PM Boris Johnson resigned last July.

Then Rishi Sunak lost an in-party contest to 47-year-old Conservative Liz Truss for appointment as PM.

After some 45 days, Ms Truss resigned under party and public pressure, largely owing to unpopular taxation and energy policies.

The Labour Opposition gained popularity.

Within two weeks, the courageous and persistent 42-year-old Sunak was returned by his party to replace Truss as UK Prime Minister. Things went smoothly, almost shadowing the historic achievement of Sunak as a dedicated British-born Hindu to Indian parents in multi-ethnic Britain, with its flourish of anti-racial controversies and committees. As Barack Obama did for America, Sunak did some of that for the UK. That historic day was Divali: there is hope still.

As the party’s political scramble settled, Sunak commended both Ms Truss and Mr Johnson and called for “party unity” to meet the “profound economic challenges” facing the country.

“I will not put politics before the country,” he stoutly declared.

Well, we will see. The important thing here is that the Conservative Party seems settled, accepting Sunak’s leadership towards the 2024 general election. Sunak pledged to lead with “professionalism, integrity and accountability.”

Those PNM members who offer themselves for executive membership must be commended. It would be a big achievement for those who win without Rowley’s blessings.

It took courage and hard work for Dr Rowley to replace Patrick Manning for PNM leadership.

Ms Kamla Persad-Bissessar in 2010 had it rather easy, beating the venerable Basdeo Panday. Previously, she endured party humiliation, so much so that she sought consolation from Bob Marley’s No, Woman, No Cry and Everything’s Gonna Be Alright. Her contestants have retreated – for now.

The political party should exert some watchdog control over the politicians it puts into office in terms of their integrity, performance and accountability. And it must do so proactively through the voices and votes of party group members. The pressures upon Mr Johnson and Ms Truss came not only from the House of Commons, but, more deadly, from way down in the Conservative party groups across the country.

It was Johnson’s own party that fired him, as it did with previous PM Theresa May.

Party politics doesn’t only mean putting politicians into high office. It also means the party must ensure honesty, accountability and good conduct from those chosen. There is a moral obligation. Strengthen the voices within the party. The seeds of democratic thinking and proper conduct must therefore be first planted within the political party. The country’s democracy will suffer without party reform. No new politics without party democracy. No leader must appear greater than the party, and no party must appear greater than the country.