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Today, we face a myriad of problems. It seems as though there is a cascading chain of events that seeks to deaden our response. We do not finish dealing with one thing before another arises.
How, then, will we run our country? How will we manage to survive? Which course ought we to take? Who should we choose to lead us?
Photo: Office of the Parliament 2025
For some of us, the answer is simple. We merely vote for those we have consistently voted for.
We do not care to examine what has changed in our circumstances. We do not want to know what else is being offered. We vote as we have done all the time.
Let us look at the public comments about the PNM’s recent leadership contest. We will notice that for some, a candidate’s actions in past situations will qualify or disqualify them. We hold the candidate responsible for whatever has been the outcome.
Others use the candidate’s past actions to predict how that person may act in the future. They wish to project what the candidate may do in the changed circumstances ahead.
For others, the success or failure of the party in handling the economy or some national issue recommends or damns the candidate. Did the party deliver a benefit for them or their family? How do they feel after being governed by the party?
For this group, the strength of the candidate is immaterial. They will not support the candidate if they do not ‘feel good’ about how things went during the party’s time in office.
How we feel about the party reflects the party’s image. The parties try hard to clean their image as the polls draw near. The opposing party will focus on what they perceive is their opponent’s weakness. The adjectives ‘corrupt’ and ‘incompetent’ are brought into use.
We no longer stop to think about who will be the best prime minister in our circumstances. Questions such as “Who will manage our economy best?” or “Who will be able to get the most from our public servants?” do not arise. These considerations are lost in the heat of the battle.
Photo: Deposit Photos
But let us consider the implications of having an ill-suited leader. When we choose a leader who does not know what is needed to run the country, we will get a bundle of words that mean nothing. Worse yet, their actions will be unwise, sinking our country into more chaos and pain.
The other consideration is that such leaders choose their lieutenants from men who are less capable than they are. They seldom choose brighter and more capable people. This selection of incompetents is the root cause of a nation’s decay.
The leaders cannot figure out what to do in our changed circumstances. Their knowledge and toolkits are limited.
The incompetence of the leader chosen is multiplied by their selections. Qualified persons will not offer their services for fear of being smeared by the behaviour and choices of the other leaders.
We should recognise that our choice of leaders sets the country on a path that is usually difficult to change. Their decisions shape our institutions.
They are the ones who select who should head these institutions, and often, they choose kindred spirits. Their lack of knowledge and vision for the country sometimes let in corrupt folk whose only interests are themselves.
When last have we heard any of our political leaders speak of their vision for the country? Have you ever seen them act in a consistent manner that enables us to discern their vision? If there is no vision, how will we survive?
Those who have read Alice in Wonderland would recall the Cheshire Cat’s response to Alice’s question about which road to take: “It depends on where you want to go!”
Where do our leaders want to take us? To a large extent, the answer depends on their character.
Do they wish to serve the greater good of our country? Or do they seek their well-being? Are they calm and measured? Are they short-tempered and quick to jump to conclusions?
What is their knowledge base? Have they been tested in difficult situations? Can and do they empathise with the weak and disadvantaged among us? Or do they seek to further the cause of the ‘high and mighty’?
We do not have any formal way of evaluating those who offer themselves up as our national leaders. This approach is the weakness of democracy.
We can and have chosen from an inferior group of potential leaders in the past. These persons decided not to serve us but themselves. How do we do better in the upcoming General Elections? This challenge is the crux of our problem today.
Will we get a leader who inspires us to dream bigger dreams? To fight harder for the next generation? To learn what we need to be successful as a nation?
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