Volume No. 2 Issue No. 46 - Monday July 14, 2008
William Riviere on the need to stay in touch
William Riviere heads the People Democratic Movement.
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When senior politicans lose touch with their country’s new generation, the results usually show in an overwhelming defeat for them at the polls. The same has held true at some point in time in Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados, St. Lucia and Antigua and Barbuda, among others. Research will support that they were swept to power by overwhelming majorities and have largely depended on supporters of that era to keep them going for two or three terms and more in some cases.
Eventually, however, a new generation comes along and they begin to ask more searching questions while finding it easier to identify with the names of politicians they have grown up with, seen regularly on the streets and at various functions and who, at the time, did not appear aloof. They did not seem to be out of reach, travelling with an entourage and security personnel to keep those who once had offered them almost blind support at bay.
Even though a leader and his party might seem to be invincible weeks before votes were cast they could easily find themselves removed from power and with no explanation that they can figure and care to advance. Normally, they simply figure that the electorate became ungrateful. Those who might wish to stay in the good graces of the people, just in case there is a chance for them to make a comeback will say “the will of the people is the will of God” – and certainly this is the wiser thing to do.
This type of situation the Caribbean is aptly summed up by leader of the People Democratic Movement (PDM) in Dominica, Dr. William Riviere, who is hoping that something not too dissimilar to what happened in Grenada last week will take place in his native Dominica.
Riviere said last Thursday, that former PM Keith Mitchell lost touch with the people of Grenada.
“Mitchell adopted a style of governance based on arrogance, intolerance to criticism and lack of consultation with the people,” the attorney at law said.
He believes the same thing has been happening in his country and will also lead to the demise of its ruling party. If what he is saying is true, then it is quite possible that the Nature Isle will soon have a new party at its helm.
This is exactly what we are saying – too much power for too long will invariably lead to many things that are negative, including corrupt practices. All these things usually combine to lead people to not only cry for changes but to make them, booting out favoured leaders for years, most unceremoniously.
We look at all of this and we wonder if there might not be an adjustment made to the number of years a leader is allowed to hold on to power in his/her country.
It could be, like is done in the US system of governance, that two terms at the helm is more than adequate for any leader to allow for an infusion of new ideas in a fast-changing world.
Further, it really should not be enough time for the arrogance associated with an extended hold on the reins of power. It also allows for accountability and transparency and should count for something as far as keeping corruption to its lower levels is concerned.
Meanwhile, there appears to be some politicians who are not willing to come to grips with the reality that the people of the region are now better positioned to demand what they want from our leaders and will turn to others if the incumbents continue to fail them.
Those who do not learn this lesson quickly, will find themselves falling from grace at an even greater pace.
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