BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – AS we indulge in the traditional Lenten season and will shortly celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, both Christians and non-Christians in St. Kitts and Nevis will be focusing on an inevitable event that will cause them to ponder where they should place their X.
It is definitely one’s democratic right to vote for whichever party one believes can astutely, confidently and successfully lead the nation and skillfully invests the country’s resources to make life better for all and sundry.
Additionally, we cast our ballots with the aim and belief that those politicians we vote for will not only make wise decisions in creating wealth for our country, but also the equitable distribution of that wealth to the entire nation.
Politics is said that to be the art or science of governing a nation and the administration and control of its internal and external affairs. However, in some quarters, it is believed to be the dirtiest profession in the world. Dirty, because of the anger, resentment, ‘mud-slinging’ and character assassination we normally witness and hear during election campaigns as politicians engage in verbal battles to gain power.
In recent times, residents of the Federation had heard tirades from the Labour Party, People’s Action Movement, Nevis Reformation Party and the Concerned Citizens Movement candidates, mixed with slime and calumny as they attack each other in Parliament and also at public meetings.
This behaviour, which often seems ungentlemanly, has become a tradition and is expected in most countries when politicians are campaigning. However, as most of us should know by now, promises lie in the bosoms of fools and the future is determined by what occurred in the past and what is currently happening. Therefore, before Elections Day, we all must carefully examine the past, compare it with the present and decide where our Xs will be placed for a better St. Kitts-Nevis.
In a recent article headlined “Uppercuts and punches among licks for Grant”, it is stated that Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Denzil Douglas said, “Boy he gon get so much licks in he backside, you hear! So much blows, I gon can’t find where on the body to blows him! I gon can’t even find place on he body to blows him! Left, right, uppercut, punch! Uppercut, punch! Uppercut, punch!”
The article further stated that Douglas also attacked Grant’s character, repeatedly calling him “a fraud”, “arrogant” and “grudging”. He accused him of plotting to fire 500 civil servants should PAM win the elections, and that a PAM’s victory would be a return to petty politics and victimisation of the masses.
This tirade is most certainly the manner in which Caribbean politicians traditionally excoriate their opponents. It is my belief, and should also be that of all who heard Douglas make the statement or read the article, that the term “…licks in he backside…” was used metaphorically and not literally. It could be viewed as an astute orator motivating his audience to gain their undivided attention. However, he did call Grant “a fraud”, “arrogant” and “grudging”, which, according to his accusations, were befitting.
Dr. Douglas, who at the time of making the accusations, was the featured speaker at the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party’s public meeting held in Old Road Village on the night of Thursday, April 2.
The ruling Party’s Leader said that the Leader of the People’s Action Movement, Lindsay Grant, had sworn to victimise a Prison Officer, who is “maybe a Labour man”, because he had registered as a voter in Half Way Tree.
Douglas said that the Prison Officer was having problems at his former residence and had moved to Half Way Tree, where he now resides.
He claimed that Grant had made the statement, among others, at a meeting he recently held in Sandy Point.
Reading from a transcript, Douglas positively claimed that Grant said, “There is a Prison Officer name Connor who came down to Old Road Police Station to say that he live in Half Way Tree. I sending this message and warning to Connor that he better don’t vote in the upcoming election, because when we win the government he prison suit going come off.”
Douglas further stated that Grant, in response to a question concerning the economic and financial situation of the Federation while at a public meeting in New York, said the government had employed too many people and he would reduce the civil service by 500.
“Who are these 500 people, are they fowl ‘dutty’ on the fowl farm?” Douglas asked his supporters and listening audience, adding, “They are real people; real people with their families.
"And you think he gon turn away PAM people in the public service? Ah Labour people he gon turn way! That is why I say this man is so arrogant. He is not even afraid to say what he is going to do if he wins.”
Should these statements be factual, then one can certainly conclude that Dr. Douglas’ metaphorical statement of “…licks in he backside…” is incomparable to Grant’s promise of victimisation.
Here again we see the lengths to which some politicians will go to gain power, which is defined as “the control and influence over other people and their actions”.
Many individuals choose politics as their life-long career because of their endless lust for power. They rule in an authoritarian mode and the ‘dog eats dog’ and the ‘rich get richer and poor get poorer’ syndromes are ever-present.
I am not implying that the parties in discussion fall within this category of political leaders, but this brand of politicians is a cunning lot, not to be ever trusted. They can be classified as some of the world’s worst people. And during election campaigns they commence with silken intentions, angelic deportment, cherubic smiles, patient understanding and ethereal promises.
But, as Frederick ‘Freddie’ Kissoon, a political science lecturer at the University of Guyana and Kaieteur News columnist, puts it, “Then the door of power opens up and the laboratory of experiments turns out a monster that devours everything in its path.”
Although it is a fact that power seeks to destroy and politicians in office have the ‘rod of power’ within their grasp, not all of them exhibit the qualities of selfishness, discrimination and party-politics in their governance.
But the fact remains that during election campaigns and parliamentary debates they sling mud and assassinate the character of their colleagues. I am therefore appealing to our political leaders to refrain from making irrational statements and unqualified generalisations; for they will definitely return to haunt you.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF’S NOTE: The Labour Party’s political meeting in which these statements were made was broadcast live on radio.
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