It is widely believed that the quality of local politicians has deteriorated over the last few electoral terms. Whether that is true or not one can hardly argue the fact that the level of discourse, whether in the House of Parliament or on the political platform, is gravely lacking in substance.
The accepted documented definition of a politician pales in comparison to what the average person thinks, and again that may very well be because of the more recent caliber of those fighting for public office. A US politician, whose name has vacated the records of most including ours, described a great politician as someone who fights desperately to get into office and then fights desperately to stay in office. If that is the case where does proper representation fall in all this.
In so far as St. Lucia is concerned, would it be incorrect to suggest that among the main criteria when selecting a candidate, is whether they are able to shout at the top of their lungs, afford the mandatory “rum and chicken handouts, and whether they have the ability to spew nasty nonsense catchphrases denigrating of their opponents on a political platform?
Many continue to hope that our representatives will be the best among us, those who are able to think outside the box as we chart the course for the nest generation, those who seem genuinely interested in the development of the community as a whole, those who are not primarily focused on a big political payday. Yet, this is what many see as lacking in the new-age politicians, described occasionally as individuals who seek to suck the lifeblood from society without contributing adequately to its development.
Why do we accept, then vote for individuals who, in some cases, are less intelligent or qualified, than a large portion of the constituency they represent? Is it that we are comfortable accepting the lesser of the two evils, or that we are so colour blind that we will support whatever the rouge and the jaune feed us. Even more dangerous are the individuals who are let loose in the campaign of these not-so-bright politicians. But that is for another time.
There needs to be a proper criterion, a credible vetting process, a standard for entering the political arena installed by both political parties. While they both will suggest that this is in place the evidence speaks largely to the contrary and it is left to Joe Public to decide which political party is most guilty. It must be pointed out that qualification in this context is not restricted to academic certification.
As the country moves into the high gear of political campaigning ahead of the coming general elections, our prediction is that local politics will get nastier with increased incidents of misinformation. And, as we sit back and listen, we can be assured of a few things, that we will be less informed, less inspired to participate and less convinced that we are moving in the right direction as it relates to the quality of our politics and hence the development of ‘Fair Helen’.