CHOISEUL/SALTIBUS – THE MOST TAKEN FOR GRANTED CONSTITUENCY

    “Any Tom, Dick and Harry can come to this constituency and pull it off in a general election.” So says a  female political analysis. Surprised to hear this? Me too, at the time, but have since concurred with the lady. When it comes to elections the voters of the constituency seem to be poor decision makers. Why is this so? This blog thinks that the hype during campaigns takes away all forms of constructive reasoning coupled with a little hand-out here and there. But can you blame them in this guava season?

     I have witnessed numerous candidates fight their guts out to win this seat: JMD Bousquet, Brian Charles, Evans Calderon, Gregor Mason, Gilroy Satney, Rufus Bousquet, Ferguson John,Tennyson Joseph and Lorne Theophilus. With the exception of Brian all of the rest as far as this blog is concerned were imported. Who had given those so called importers the right to decide for us that those were the persons we wanted to represent us in case they won? Evans from La Clery, Rufus from Rodney Heights,Lorne, and Gregor from Gros Islet, Gilroy from Vieux fort, Ferguson from England Tennyson Joseph from Bardados, JMD Bousquet from Castries, while Brian was home based. With the exception of Brian all of the others had no interest in the constituency and they were forced upon us and we foolishly and blindly elected those we presume would lift us from the mud.

Scenario 1. JMD Bousquet left Castries and was invited to run the Choiseul seat after Gilbert Mason, Gregor’s father died. Although seeing Bousquet for the first time, Choiseulians voted him over Ives John during a bye-election. According to the generation Bousquet served they said he gave a good account of himself.

    Scenario 2. In spite of Bousquet’s good representation Calderon (Pye) came down from La Clery and beat Bousquet .That killed the Bousquet.

Scenario 3. Brian, the home boy won in a three cornered fight with Gregor and Gilroy. Calderon came back from nowhere and beat Brian. ( Choiseu tiway tweep epi maytae boyo)

Scenario 4. Rufus , brought down from Rodney Hieghts by Devotion replaced Brian in general election and beat Calderon. Rufus a complete stranger to Choiseulians running on his father’s name. (See what I mean)  Two foreigners running to represent us.

Scenario 5. Ferguson, practicing law in England is called down to replace calderon and he beats Rufus hands down. That year Labour beat UWP 16 – 1.

Scenario 6. Rufus gets another whooping by Ferguson and in the following election Tennyson replaces Ferguson and Rufus beats him. May be a little reasoning was shown there by the electorate as the voted Rufus whom they had previously known over Tennyson the Barbadian. Rufus did fairly well using the Taiwanese funds, though to some pundits not efficiently enough

Scenario 7.  Lorne from Gros Islet whom most  Choiseulians know nothing about replaces Tennyson and beats Rufus. Again we see the stranger over the known candidate.

Whatever seems to be the driving forces that motivate Choiseulians to vote so erratically needs a special study. This habit is not about to change soon unless Choiseulians demand that persons wanting to represent them from come from and live in the constituency. Moses Jn. Baptiste and cecil lay are typical examples.

It is so pathetic to see how some persons rally behind these politicians during election time. Once the seat is won its “nothing doing” until four years later when one sees revived interest by the politician in the people once more.

This cannot be allowed to continue and as of now, both sides of the political divide need to find Choiseul-based individuals to run, come next election 2016 or sooner.

Choiseul/Saltibus can’t take it no more and must be in search of BETTER DAYS.