By Glenroy Blanchette
The political landscape of St. Kitts has been greatly influenced by political leaders of various political parties. Two of these leaders have become a sort of yardstick by which individuals use to measure the quality of political leadership in our country. His Right Excellent Robert L. Bradshaw has become the standard bearer for integrity in the Labour Party while Dr. the Right Hon. Sir Kennedy A. Simmonds holds a similar position in the People’s Action Movement.
One remarkable trait of these two gentlemen is their willingness to take responsibility for whatever happens under their watch and to acknowledge their mistakes. All leaders make bad deals from time to time. However, when mistakes are made a good leader will acknowledge them, learn from them and move on. They must be willing to step aside in the interest of the Party. They must recognize that a political party does not belong to one individual but is made up of members and supporters who believe in a common cause.
In 2008, the Hon. Earl Williams, Opposition Leader and Political Leader of the United Workers Party in Dominica, resigned following allegations that he mishandled client funds in his private legal practice. The scandal involved the misuse of US$91,000 given to him to buy land in Dominica for a client based in the United States. Interestingly, his resignation came days after he led an opposition boycott of PM Roosevelt Skerrit’s budget address to highlight allegations of corruption against PM Skerrit. Mr. Williams felt that his Party should not suffer as a result of his mistake and so he stepped down.
In May of 2009, Ichiro Ozawa, Political Leader of the Democratic Party of Japan, resigned over a fall-out from a political funding scandal involving the purchase of land in Tokyo. He did not wish to cause any further harm to his Party so he stepped down.
And on 10th May 2010, Deniz Baykal, the Turkish main opposition leader, resigned from his post following the release of a video tape showing him in an intimate situation with a female from his own party (Republican People’s Party). Mr. Baykal recognized that if he held on to power the scandal would ultimately destroy his Party’s chances at the polls, so he stepped down.
What these examples have shown is that it takes men of courage to acknowledge their imperfections, accept responsibility for their actions, and then move on. They recognize that their error in judgment could do more damage to their Party if they stubbornly refuse to take responsibility for their actions and step down amidst calls for their resignation.
Good leaders must possess a sense of integrity. They must be honest and truthful in their dealings with others. Good leaders should not be hypocrites. They must be above board at all times. Imagine a political leader accusing others of corruption while at the same time he or she is engaging in corrupt practices. It is also even worse when persons loyal to that leader turn a blind eye to the errors of their leader yet continue to hurl accusations at others whom they believe to be corrupt.
A wise man once said that bad things happen when good people remain silent. It is our civic duty to condemn wrong in the interest of democracy and the greater good. We must be able to call a spade a spade. We must be willing to stand up for something otherwise we will fall for anything.
And above all, we must do what is right.
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