EDITORIAL
The full expression of democracy calls upon several schools of thought or opinions to flourish. This means that in politics, different groups or parties will offer solutions they think can best solve challenges facing the country.
At times, however, that process can be tense, hostile and full of conflict. Look no further than our North American neighbours as a practical example, where the Democrats and Republicans first fought – not without controversy – internal party battles before the eventual candidates were chosen. By the time the main elections were contested, there was a deep split in how Americans viewed the other party’s candidate and positions, a division that is still continuing since protests have erupted after President Trump has started to enact major campaign promises.
Revolutions of the late 1700s showed that new societies could be forged through conflicts that arose when two or more distinct forms of political opinions clashed. For some like the United States and France, it was freedom from despotic monarchies; in the case of Haiti, it was to revolt against the indignities and oppression of slavery and colonial ties.
We are fortunate in Barbados that ideologically the main parties have not veered too far from each other. Both have placed the development of this country – health, education, infrastructure and so on – at the forefront. Though there has been turmoil in the country that saw expression in the 1937 Riots and the formation of trade unions, we have upheld the notion of using general elections to enact change. That said, there is a sense in the air that persons are preparing themselves for the next elections in Barbados.
Constitutionally due February next year, it is as if the country is on a countdown clock, waiting and preparing until the bell has officially rung. Facing the polls will be some new candidates, political parties and incumbents. We believe that all persons nominated and/or seeking re-election do so out of a sense of interest in this country’s well-being, and it is clear that successive Barbadian governments have always been elected without violence, widespread allegations of voter intimidation or misinformation. Those are all hallmarks of our process, a feature of which we should be proud and guard fiercely, and from which no party official or politician should seek to score cheap political points.
However, there are some concerning developments that should not be entertained. Just after his victory in 2013, Prime Minister Freundel Stuart sharply criticised the practice of vote-buying, after it was alleged to have taken place on Election Day. We don’t expect to ever get a perfect system; the cynical among us might note that vote-buying is nothing new, not since the days of cornbeef and biscuits politics. However, it is short-sighted and eminently dangerous to promise democracy to a people for a price, because surely there will come a day when the public will place substance and content over temporary wants and ensure they achieve what they desire.
In politics, each candidate is in it to win and will use strategies he/she deems fit to accomplish that goal. When the actual political spectacle begins, and the candidates seek to capture the imagination of the public, we ask that Barbados be placed first always, and that the development of our country, the preservation of our democratic traditions, and the peaceful exhibitions continue to be the yardstick by which we measure our political success.