Pledge allegiance to performance – not party

DEXTER RIGSBY

EVERY DAY I hear fellow citizens bitterly complaining about various aspects of governance that are causing them grief. The level and frequency of heinous crimes committed daily and going largely unresolved are chief among grievances, particularly since the Ministry of National Security is evidently devoid of workable solutions to counteract the scourge any time soon.

Public healthcare or lack thereof is another contentious paradigm of gross incompetence. There are allegations citing many more dengue cases than Minister Deyalsingh is conveying. People visiting public hospitals are telling of horrendous experiences regarding wait times for being attended to due to apparent short staff. Consequently, it is common for potential patients to wait in excess of 12 hours before a doctor sees them – a reality that is in stark contrast to the Health Minister’s empty assurances.

The citizenry is also dissatisfied with the perennial bad road conditions, extreme flooding after an hour of rainfall and the general high cost of living. Needless to say, being made to pay significant property tax by September 30, followed by imminent rate increases for electricity and water are reflective of a callous regime. Sadly, the foregoing tribulations endured by the average person merely scratches the proverbial surface.

To add insult to injury, the Prime Minister finds it prudent to prioritise making changes to the coat of arms at this time. On the surface, replacing the three ships with the steelpan is geared at creating a sense of national pride. Notwithstanding, the underlying agenda is perceived to be the Government’s smokescreen to deflect from its abysmal failures while ensuring that its grassroots supporters remain loyal at the polls next year.

Suffice it to say, it is easy to assume that the general population of TT is disenchanted with the Government’s ineptitude as it relates to running the country. People are crying out and protesting for positive changes. Tears are being shed for slaughtered children, pensioners and people of all ages in between.

Oppression reigns in the absence of basic commodities like a regular water supply and bridge repairs, while a selected few businesses have more than adequate access to foreign currency. Neglect in maintaining sporting stadiums and schools is prosaic...and the list goes on.

Incredibly, when it comes to voting, a large portion of the nation’s disenchanted folks who have experienced the above oppression for many years will ponder out loud, “Who we go put?” I beg those folks to understand that in the absence of meaningful challenges, humans become complacent and lazy.

For context, if members of any government feel assured that the electorate will return them to power at every election, that government’s performance will wane, eventually doing very little to address the needs of the electorate. Why would ministers work hard on delivering manifesto promises knowing that their supporters will vote in their favour in any event?

That guarantee of being in control regardless of performance is an aspect fuelled by tribalism in this country that must be broken.

It is the opinion of rational minds that some people prefer to live in hardship under a leader that looks like them as opposed to seeking betterment under a leader of a different ethnicity. Arguably, this seems to hold on both sides of the divide in TT.

The key to motivate optimum performance from any authority is by conveying that no one or no entity is indispensable. In other words, due to poor performance, government A should be replaced by government B. Should government B underperform, it should be replaced by government A again or government C at the next election, and so on.

The alternating of power in light of poor performance will likely ensure improvements by leaders and their respective governments as members will know they will be voted out unless they perform credibly.

I often hear fellow citizens say he’s a staunch UNC or she’s a diehard PNM, with similar scenarios occurring elsewhere, like in the US with Republican and Democrat affiliations. As civilised people, we must stop being defined by which political party we belong to and instead pledge allegiance to performance only. It is only with that mindset we can truly move forward ensuring the ones we hire to run our country run it well.