Coalitions and political health

THE EDITOR: This is sweet TT where you can, within reason, say and do anything you want. This reasoning is dependent on the season.

Consider the Carnival season. You can dress as naked as you please, attend fete after fete after fete and wine right down to the ground. Why? Because in Lent you will get prayers and forgiveness for all bad behaviour.

In our two political seasons, local government and general elections, you are allowed to change political allegiance if and when you want. Why? Because as true "Trini to the bone" people, we are aware that Seepaul luck is not Gopaul luck. You have to be a member of the strongest party viewed as capable of providing a successful vehicle without playing the race card too hard.

Image is everything and political image, if just right, can put you into power for more than one season.

Can we now discuss the efficacy of political partnerships? The People's Partnership was formed by five political parties in 2010 but only lived five years. The main party was the United National Congress (UNC). The others were the National Joint Action Committee (NJAC), the Congress of the People (COP), the Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) and the Tobago Organisation of the People (TOP).

The PP died (let us not mince words) because the UNC dominated the coalition. Promises made dissolved in the political flood waters. It can even be suggested that icon Makandal Daaga, ORTT (Geddes Granger), the leader of the momentous 1970 Black Power revolution, eventually died of a broken heart because NJAC members were theoretically never socially compensated.

Fast forward to 2023 and the political reality is that the scattered Afro-Trinidadian/Tobagonian vote will have to be the engine used for winning governance in both the local government elections this year and general election in 2025.

The UNC recently lost a couple prominent members who were NJAC. All is fair in love, war and politics. However, TT politics is now all about political image.

How many leaders of the small political parties which can never, ever win alone agree on who will be the real boss?

Will there ever be another political coalition that can be trusted?

This is sweet TT where you can do and say anything you want within reason.

Plain talking is not bad manners and you can mince words drizzled with some salt and slight pepper.

LYNETTE JOSEPH

Diego Martin