Analysts: Lack of inspiration, apathy key to low voter turnout

Political analysts said the inability of the major political parties to inspire their voting bases and an attitude of disinterest on the part of the population were two major reasons for the historically low voter turnout in Monday’s local government election.

Political analyst Derek Ramsamooj said there has always been a 30 to 35 per cent voter turnout in TT. He said what was evident was the lack of electoral faith, regardless of the messages being advocated by the PNM and the UNC.

“One party attempted to campaign for local government reform while the other tried to use the campaign as a type of referendum. Neither political party was able to inspire their own voter bases to come out. The question is, was there more political slippage under the UNC led by Kamla Persad-Bissessar versus the PNM with its ability to attract more voters and its incumbency?”

Ramsamooj said the issue of local government reform was not properly debated during the campaign.

“What is missing is a detailed discussion on the political value of the local system at the community level. Using the word reform without defining what the word will mean to the citizens was what was alarmingly missing.

"The constant utilisation of the word reform without explaining it beyond the concept of property tax was urgently needed to sensitise the electorate.

“Both the PNM and the UNC need to recalibrate their political posturing, restructure their political messaging, and demonstrate to their voter bases their capacity to deliver better public goods and services.”

Ramsamooj said proper education, excitement, and strategy was needed to increase the voter turnout. He said the parties’ strategy of aerial bombardment failed to get the party base out and convince the undecided or first-time voter.

He described the question of who won as being a politically naive conversation, considering the campaign resources utilised to get one or two seats more, or one or two votes more.

“This does not augur well for the opposition parties. Their campaign strategy of attempting a national issue campaign has left little in their arsenal for the pending general election campaign.

“Can the existing UNC leadership convince the undecided voters in the constituencies of St Joseph, Tunapuna, San Fernando West, and Toco/Sangre Grande? If not, then the UNC must find a new political leader. That is the real battle – your party’s winnability at the next election, not you reserving power for your personal ego.”

Political analyst Dr Indira Rampersad said people were disinterested and indifferent

“I can’t say if it is also a result of fed-upness with the choices, I’m not sure about that, because they have other alternatives to the major political parties, and they’re still not coming out to vote. The voter turnout was in the 20s up to 1983, then it went to almost 30 per cent in 1983, in 1987 it went to 43 per cent with the NAR wave, in 2018 there was 43 per cent as well but after 1987 it went to 30s.

“So I think it’s an attitude, because there have been many different parties voting over the years. There would be some who don’t vote because of disenchantment with lack of representation, and they don’t see any change really.

"But I think there’s an attitude and an apathy of disinterestedness, a general indifference.

"People just don’t care.

"They don’t feel a sense of responsibility to exercise their civic duty, because they don’t feel it’s important and they’re caught up in their own lives.”

She said she felt there was some selfishness in the local electorate who, while they were willing to complain on social media, didn’t come out and vote. She said whether they wanted to keep or change an incumbent government or change it, they couldn’t do either without voting.