Should The Forgotten Communities Vote in Upcoming General Elections?

When I was younger, campaigning was one of my fortes. Brian Charles and later Rufus Bousquet were local elected officials, so for my friends and family, campaigning not only meant convincing persons, it meant the excitement of holding signs while shouting out, “Vote Brian/Rufus!” It meant handing out campaign materials in many communities. It meant getting to stay up late at election night parties, watching with baited breath as folks scurried in with boxes of polling stations results, which were then written-up on long, papered walls. (Now that results are released online, election night parties are considerably less exciting.)

These days, I greet Elections with far less enthusiasm. (And this particular year I greet it with no enthusiasm at all. Nothing but dread.)

I’ve grown up. I’ve awakened to the fact that we live in an imperfect world full of flawed people. And I’ve now (mostly through my work as a blogger) had a close-enough view of politics to know that its poor reputation is pretty well deserved. I’ve become frustrated with our political system and I’ve given up the idea that any candidate can be a knight in shining armor.

But I will vote. I vote in every single election and you should too. Here are some reasons why:

You do believe in having the right to vote, but are unsure as to whether it really will make a difference. So, should you vote or not? Yes - if you want better healthcare, education and childcare, fairer taxation, basic income for all, better roads and transport, better local amenities because the government  runs all these services and your vote in a General, Election will send a message about what sort of St Lucia you want and expect.

Any complaints you may have about anything related to politics (and everything is related to politics) will ring rather hollow after June 6, 2021, if you do not do the absolute minimum to make a difference by voting. 

Voting is the most fundamental way of expressing an opinion on what the parties are planning on doing if elected. Failing to do so makes any subsequent complaints about what the government is doing fairly hypocritical. I am among those who believe that you forfeit your right to bitch and complain about government if you fail to vote. And I find that complaining about government is a healthy and often a productive activity. 

I vote so that I can register my own independent thinking. And then I follow up that voting by interacting with my elected officials. You should too. Don’t vote? Can’t moan! Want to moan? Got to vote!

Do you let other people make all of your decisions for you, or do you value independent thought? If personal independence is important to you, then voting should be too.

When it comes to getting involved in the political process, Abraham Lincoln puts it best: “Elections belong to the people. It’s their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters.”

Ultimately, you should research your candidates and the issues, and make an informed vote that works for you. After all, if you don’t vote in your own interests, who will? Plus, smart people vote. You’re smart, right?

 

 

The Forgotten Communities – Still Not on the Rep's Radar

Rufus, Lorne and Bradley

Locally, it appears that our parliamentarian is struggling to meet the ever growing expectations of the residents of the Forgotten Communities. Recent discussions suggest that residents hold the parliamentarian to account principally for the services that he is able to deliver outside parliament, not for his law-making role or his cabinet duties.

Parliamentary Rep after parliamentary Rep, administration after administration, it’s the same old khaki pants when it comes to proper representation for the residents of the Forgotten Communities – La Maze, Roblot, Debrieul, Sauzay and Riviere Doree. This blog has consistently informed its readers about the poor level of representation and unkept promises (see links below) meted out by our Parliamentary Representatives (past and present) to the Forgotten Communities. This will continue to be so until honest dialogue becomes part of a strategy to improve people’s lives.

Sunset Bay - Choiseul's Elusive Dream

Poor Representation and broken promises:

My disgust at poor representation

Another of Lorne’s stories

Lorne’s mamaguy

Bradley can’t seem to deliver

Choiseul’s wrecking team

Scores of people drive through the Forgotten Communites daily to get an idea of how the people live. They want to feel the vibes of the people in the Craft Mecca of the constituency, the farmers, the single mothers, the unemployed and of course the youth. Hoping to see a semblance of improved lives, they gradually become disenchanted by what they see as they drive through and engage the residents.

It appears that many of these politicians believe that by just getting a few unplanned drainage projects, or cutlassing done in the Forgotten communities can improve people's lives and is all  that matters for their re-election….far from it!

The Parliamentary Reps must realize that constituency service is important both to citizens and themselves – indeed; it is an accepted and expected part of the job. Numerous opinion polls in different constituencies suggest that the public believes that some form or the other of constituency service is the most important part of a Rep’s role, while Reps themselves no doubt see the benefit of meeting voters' needs for various reasons, not least to improve their chances of re-election.

If one were to ask any of these Reps what they think residents see as their most important role, you no doubt would hear them say that, in the eyes of the resident, solving residents' problems is the parliamentarian's most important role – does one see that happening in the forgotten communities.

Roblot Multipurpose Centre

It's about face time. Residents of The Forgotten Communities are not difficult people. If you promise it, do it! (Multipurpose Center for example) Residents like when a Parliamentary Rep comes to their constituency to see their faces. A Parliamentary Rep should always be with constituents, live in the constituency and be part and parcel of them. Whatever a Rep does matters in elections. They can bring development but if the residents don't see them, then electors will not remember.

In closing, ponder over this thought. A good parliamentary representative is not likely to be approved by, or even appreciated by, every one of his constituents. Thus my claim is not that a parliamentary representative will be valued by every constituent (or even a majority of constituents); rather, my claim is that a good parliamentary representative will be the unbridled advocate of his own constituents.