Four candidates, contesting the 2015 general election in Anguilla, have participated in a novel event called “Speak Truth to the People”. During that event they outlined some of their plans for the island either as leaders of parties or independent candidates.
The event, dubbed an “Interactive Political Dialogue”, was held at La Vue on Sunday evening, March 15. It was organised by Mr Elliott Harrigan, an Anguillian national residing in St Maarten, who gave each speaker an opportunity to deliver a timed presentation to the audience on the subject “Our Country Plan 2015-2015”.
Mr Harrigan explained to The Anguillian why he had convened a meeting of that sort. “I have done so because in spite of having a long campaign, I believe people are still not too clear about what the real objectives of the individual parties are, and what they intend to do for the island when they are elected to serve during the next five years,” he stated. “That is why the event, through my organisation, “Speak Truth to the People”, has as its theme: “Your Country Plan 2015-2020.”’
The candidates, in order of their presentations, were: Mr Sutcliffe Hodge, Leader of the DOVE Party, who was allotted 25 minutes; Ms Pamalvon Webster, Independent candidate, Island Harbour, 20 minutes; Mr Statchel Warner, Independent candidate, Road South, 20 minutes; and Mr Victor Banks, Leader of the Anguilla United Front and candidate for Valley South, 25 minutes.
According to Mr Harrigan, organiser and host of “Speak Truth to the People”, the Anguilla United Movement declined an invitation to participate in the dialogue, saying that its manifesto, involving the Movement’s plans, would soon be published.
Mr. Sutcliffe Hodge said his party’s plans focussed on four critical areas as follows: “The overarching transformation that is urgently needed in Anguilla to propel the quality of life for everyone in Anguilla. The second issue is the economic reconstruction and transformation of Anguilla. The third issue is the social reconstruction and transformation; and the fourth issue is the political reconstruction and transformation.”
He explained that he used the word transformation because he believed that there was a need for a paradigm shift in Anguilla if the island could be propelled forward. He went on: “Some of the overarching initiatives that need to improve the quality of life for everyone in Anguilla are focussed on three ‘fs’. One ‘f’ is the cost of fuel. As basic as that may sound, it is critical to the overall running of any country not just Anguilla…The other critical ‘f’ is food – the availability of food; the price of food and the quality of food. The third one is finance – what it costs to get money; to borrow money to finance the things that this country needs to finance. Additionally, the other critical thing in Anguilla is having good paying jobs for our people so that they can make choices for themselves – good paying jobs, not having a minimum wage….but a wage that people can live on.” The other one, of course, is lower energy – the cost of electricity and how that will impact our lives and the economy of Anguilla.”
Mr Hodge, who expanded on the above matters, also spent much time looking at various other areas relating to the social and economic development of Anguilla.
Ms Pamalvon Webster saw constitutional and educational advancement as the pillars to determine who Anguillians are as a people. She continued: “I believe that before we, as a people, can determine what detailed plans we should put forward… we should have a national economic plan. There is no way that we can make the right decision as a people until we have a national development plan.”
As an independent candidate in district 1, she believed that “representation is one of the issues that concern not just the citizens there, but throughout Anguilla – and constitutional advancement underpins that issue.” She stressed that “if we don’t have constitutional reform as an immediate plan of action, I think that our people will continue to struggle with becoming part of a global emerging economy. So constitutional advancement continues to be one of the issues I am concerned with.”
Ms Webster further stated: “I believe, for instance, all of us have just experienced the challenge and the uncertainty of not knowing when we would have elections. I propose that, as a plan for advancement and reform, that we have fixed-date elections. When we talk about the quality of representation, I am also thinking that we should have, in terms of constitutional reform, the power to recall a representative – whether there are performing issues or because that person is charged for not doing the right thing – or perhaps a criminal offence. We need to have the power of recall. I believe that other constitutional reforms are critical. For instance, I believe that we should not have more than two terms in office. I think it stagnates the opportunity for young, excellent people, to enter the scene and thereby contribute to our advancement as a country. I think it increases accountability in terms of representation. I have other matters I think are important in relation to the constitutional reform.
“My view is that, as a country, it is it up to us to decide whether or not we should be independent. It is a decision for the people. My personal view is that … we need to get to a place when we are absolutely on our feet, and able to stand neck to neck say with Finland in terms of education, or Scandinavia on a whole in terms of education, that would signal that we are ready for independence. Until we are able to do that and we have sustainability, subject to all its tests, I think we should focus instead on the opportunities we have as a British Overseas Territory, to make ourselves truly sustainable.”
Ms Webster went on to look at various development initiatives which she would like to pursue to make district 1 a model area of Anguilla and which could be undertaken for the benefit of Anguilla on a whole.
Mr. Statchel Warner emphasised: “I don’t believe in five-year plans. Plans for national development need to be much longer than five years, and over the years our politicians have been behaving like a five-year plan is all that you are entitled to because this is the only amount of time that we are elected for.
“I am going to speak to you not just on development, but sustainable development because we keep speaking of development as if it is a gift, but, according to the United Nations, development is a right,” he continued. “I heard people speak of manifestos. I think over the years the way that the political parties are treating manifestos is an insult to the electorate. You cannot have five years and think that it is okay to give the electorate a manifesto in the last week or last month of an election. They cannot hold you accountable for that because there are those of us who do not read, and … those of us who have the time and interest to read, might not have enough time to do so. We need to come out with a manifesto much longer than that.”
Mr Warner said there was not just a need for a national development plan for Anguilla, but a sustainable national development strategy. “I am not saying a plan because nothing should be written in stone,” he told his listeners. “The need to develop a sustainable development strategy is more important today than it was in 1992. However, there are some beliefs and attitudes that we must eradicate if we are going to achieve sustainable development. We are not unique as we take pleasure in believing. The world is filled with small island states of similar size, history, population and economic activity and similar environmental challenges as Anguilla…So Anguilla is not unique as an island. We have to be unique as an island.”
He was of the view, based on current circumstances, that without strong, honest and committed leadership, “Anguilla’s path to the formalisation of a national sustainable development strategy or policy, is going to be messy”. Mr Warner saw himself as part of a new effort to direct Anguilla on a proper path to national sustainable development. He stressed that, as part of that goal, there was a need allow peaceful and skilled non-Anguillians, living among the population, to blend into the society and make a meaningful contribution.
Mr Victor Banks spoke about ten objectives which he said his Anguilla United Front party would strive towards achieving by 2020 as follows: ensuring that Anguillians enjoy full employment and a prosperous living standard; owning and running most businesses in a diversified economy; assessing improved healthcare funded by a sound national insurance health system; giving stronger emphasis to technology, engineering, the arts, culture, civics and ethics; maximising opportunities for young people to be their best; to achieve their goals and become outstanding citizens and leaders; protected by a broad, sustainable social safety net that includes health, disability, unemployment and redundancy benefits as a basis of ensuring that Anguillians are maintained during periods of challenge; using significant power from low-cost renewable sources for electricity ‘conveyables’ and emphasing climate change strategies in environmental planning management; exercising increased democratic self-rule in a united, empowered and patriotic community; participating effectively in the OECS, CARICOM and other global bodies; and realising what Anguilla needs socially, culturally, inspired by the Anguilla Revolution and the island’s unique history and culture.
Mr Banks said “those were objectives that the Anguilla United Front would like all Anguillians to be able to achieve by the year 2020.” He pointed out that “a statement of the Anguillian dream of the AUF is that Anguilla will be a harmonious and empowered society, functioning effectively in a healthy environment, enjoying democratic self-rule, a high living standard, steady social and cultural progress; the benefits of full membership in the regional community and a high success in the global market.”
The AUF leader revealed that, as part of those goals, his party had also “put together a 15-point human development mission,” which he did not elaborate on. He noted, however, “that all these things are important to ensure that we have in place a plan of action to achieve the goals that we have set for ourselves, as an organisation, and for the people of Anguilla who we represent for the period 2015-2020 and beyond.”
Following the four presentations, the candidates questioned each other on statements they made, following which written questions were also submitted to them by members of the audience.
