By Kenrick Quashie
The next general elections are NDP’s to lose. This one fact remains: that the ULP administration is bad for SVG and needs to leave or be removed from office. I recall at the NDP’s “Hope Rally”, party leader Godwin Friday presented a strong case for the NDP as the only political solution to the many problems SVG faces.
The challenge though is that the NDP must continue to inspire national confidence among the electorate. Too much injustice has occurred over the last number of years for Vincentians to ignore how this regime has treated our people. The problem is though, many of our people prefer charismatic gibberish and slavish handouts over political astuteness and a deep sense of integrity. We value loyalty to a party over loyalty to each other. We find ourselves saying, that could happen to other people, once not me! The incident involving the now resigned youth president and the inability to quell the concerns internally may have dampened the momentum and political capital so brightly emanating from the Hope Rally.
A party’s leadership should always be decisive and quick to respond to anything that threatens to destabilise the establishment. Whether the situation with Miss John was handled in the best way by the party, is up for debate.
The challenge with the NDP, which perhaps may not be shown openly by the ULP, is that the democratic process is lived out in the public. People bear their hurts, joy and pains for everyone else to see. Views are expressed, many of which are personal but they come from prominent players in the NDP camp. They are then treated as though they are the views of the NDP. In a country where many Vincentians struggle to distinguish between person and party, this could be a detrimental practice. The rhetoric that you cannot support a party and have issues with a policy or position has been drilled into our understanding of loyalty so for the last 20 years that it is virtually impossible for us to see them coexisting.
When I opted to change parties because I was tired of the pain being inflicted on my Vincentian folk, I was not exactly welcomed with open arms into the party which I now believe is absolutely necessary for our country.
I urge the NDP therefore to be strategic in its approach to the next election. Spend time reflecting on the issues that Ms John raised, determine if there are any merits in them. Help the members of the party to understand that it is okay to gripe and be sure to give them the room and a listening ear when they do so. Be consistent in your actions — unison is important to the Vincentian people. It is possible to welcome ideas and respectfully disagree on positions all the while being transparent and winning the political will of the people. Be clear about where you stand and always remember to put the people over yourselves.
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The democratic way of things as seen played out in the NDP clearly shows that democracy is alive and well in the sense not one person say so but collectively all can have their say as to how things should be done.
Hope this serve as a learning process for bothe leaders elect and party hopefuls.