The battle over the government's insistence to redraw the boundaries in Antigua and Barbuda matters enormously. It speaks to the very soul of our national spirit. This tension represents a clash of values. The first relies on political expediency. The second promotes fair play and the rule of law.
Whereas the first view cunningly justifies PM Baldwin Spencer's attitude that he has the authority to do whatever is necessary to get a third term, the second vision expects laws to function in the service of freedom. Laws are not merely to be enforced, but used as a benchmark for public decisions.
Leader of the Opposition Gaston Browne is threatening to take the government back to court. He is determined not to give Spencer any room to manipulate the voting map by using the language of equitable representation to hide blatant gerrymandering.
With general elections due in March of 2014 and with the government's image increasingly galloping toward a brand of failed economic and social initiatives, the pressure is on to creatively tamper with the political landscape. Despite a recent Court ruling against the government's generous tendency to transgress the law, the PM is bent on exchanging one error with another wrong. Although none of us should ever underestimate the politics of desperation, changing the boundaries in this climate is politically unwise and profoundly unethical.
There are several reasons why this decision is practically ineffective.
First, there is a vast difference between the known past and the unknown future. The logic of redrawing the boundaries is rooted in historical assumptions about voter behavior with little regard for current demographic shifts or what this truly implies for victory and defeat. Second, the government will be fighting a difficult election on unchartered territory.
Better strategic intelligence should easily anticipate unforeseen challenges lurking in the dark. The risks overshadow the benefits.
Third, geographical demarcations may not necessarily bear any resemblance to presumed voter preferences. Pollsters are predicting that the government's share of the votes is unlikely to mirror the same confidence in 2014 that was manifested in 2004. The feeling that visible boundary lines would automatically align with the invisible mindset of voters distorts reality.
Fourth, electorates tend more often than not; to punish politicians when they believe that they have manipulated outcomes. This trend shouldn't be underestimated.
Fifth, leaders of the Boundaries Commission may not have the time, and judging from what they have produced so far, I am skeptical that they have the technical and managerial competencies (perhaps not even the perceived moral authority) to minimize potential discrepancies. Given the fallout which transpired in 2009, I can't envision that Spencer could survive another electoral disaster under his watch.
Sixth, even if anticipated changes give the government the popular votes it wants, there is no direct proportionality between the number of votes the government will get and the number of seats it may win. Finally, the higher the perception that a particular seat is a safe seat the greater the potential for lower voter turnout. Voters may feel that there is no point in voting since the seat is secured. This could lead to massive disappointment.
Beyond bad politics, biasing the boundaries raises an important question that each of us should ponder: What is happening to our moral progress and spiritual maturity? No democratic advancement could occur by hijacking the process to gain unfair advantage. It is far better to win or lose honorably than to put the practice of good governance in mayday.
All political leaders must be held to the same ethical principles. To trust politicians' judgment and embrace their policies we should demand that they act ethically at all times. Moral consistency isn't superficial. It defines the inner substance of our national culture and conscience. It elevates our collective dignity and human rights to a place of pride and decency.
We must purposefully separate blind party politics from good public policy.
If we permit politicians to preach credibility through eloquence but ignore it by example, we are betraying our national virtues and collective commitments. We can no longer tolerate violence of our most basic values for fear or favor.
The criteria for redrawing the boundaries are clear, reasonable and just.
They should be based on meaningful consultations with opposition parties, they should be scientifically defensible, and they should be fully transparent with the aim of clarifying our national interest.
Despite political differences, I hope our ethical trajectory is longer, broader and deeper than the outcome of the next general elections. I hope it piques our outrage at the government's gerrymandering agenda, and I hope it evokes our love for a stable democracy. I believe that our moral substance must inspire the realignment of positive social change with moral devotion.
Discouraging, condemning and opposing the government from gerrymandering, is an ethical stance that people from all walks of life who wants justice to take deep roots must take.
Can we weigh this matter objectively and bring new light to national maturity? There is no better time to cancel a consistent hypocrisy for a seamless national morality.
Dr. Isaac Newton is an International Leadership and Change Management Consultant and Political Adviser. He specializes in Government and Business Relations, and Sustainable Development Projects. Dr. Newton works extensively, in West Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America and is a graduate of Oakwood College, Harvard, Princeton and Columbia. He has published several books on personal development and written many articles on economics, education, leadership, political, social, and faith based issues.
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