It is understood that general elections in Anguilla must be held by June of 2020. The political pundits are, however, off to an early start much to the consternation of some persons. The thought of a long and bruising campaign, where the airwaves and social media are filled with half truths, innuendo and outright vicious personal attacks, is not being welcomed by many persons.
While the optimists among us remain hopeful for an election campaign that is of a higher standard than experienced in previous years, many have been disappointed by what has been observed to date. The enlightenment and discerning presentations, hoped for, have not yet beEn reflected in political meetings or on the few billboard, which have appeared in at least one district.
A potential added dimension to the election campaign, leading up to the 2020 general election, is expected to involve At-Large Candidates. If this is effected in time for the 2020 elections, we will potentially see significantly increased numbers of candidates running with established parties or as independent candidates. Will these candidates wallow in the mud, or serve to transform the campaign process by elevating the standards of engagement with the voting populace? We can only hope that this will be one of the positive results of the introduction of At-Large Candidates. After all, such candidates, since they are seeking to find favour with a wider population base, should rely on objective discourse to attract their votes rather than engaging in emotive and often unrealistic presentations.
There is much that politicians can discuss on the campaign trail that will serve to enlighten the voting populace. A basic starting point would be to ensure that the voting populace has an adequate understanding of how government operates. It is often very clear from discussions on radio talk shows, or on social media, that many persons do not have a fair grasp of how government functions. The concept of Executive Council is foreign to many, as is the role of the House of Assembly compared to that of the Executive Council. The relationship between ministers and public officers, and what governs that relationship, appears to be relatively unknown to the voting populace.
As a starting point all politicians should include, as part of their communications with the populace, the demystifying of the governmental structures and processes. In doing this, the political candidates will be themselves forced to familiarise themselves with the workings of governmental structures, including the public service, with which successful political candidates will be required to work. Sadly, it often appears from the political rhetoric, spouted during election campaigns, that many persons vying for elected office are themselves unclear about many aspects of government operations.
An area that every candidate should also be prepared to address, in some detail, is the issue of sustainable financing of the services, offered by the government and its agencies, which the Anguilla populace expects and deserves. This should lead to a discussion on taxes. While politicians often delight in announcing that they are proposing no new taxes, this should be done from a position of objective reality rather than merely playing on the emotions of the voting public. Additionally, realities must be faced by the voting populace, that all expected and deserved services come at a cost – and how the services will be funded is a vital part of the work of elected candidates and public officers. Reference has been made to the introduction of Value Added Tax (VAT) or a Goods and Services Tax (GST). What are the merits and demerits of these taxes and if they are not considered desirable what alternatives are being proposed? Will either of these taxes, if introduced, coexist with our existing Customs regime or will the Customs regime ceases to exist, in its current form? Politicians deserving of consideration should have the capacity to speak intelligently on these issues, and will demonstrate their desire to engage in meaningful discourse with the voting populace, by speaking on these and other substantive issues which are relevant to Anguilla’s sustainable development.
The battle has clearly begun, but will it be a battle with a difference? Will we demand that it be a battle with a difference? Our response to what is presented to us by political candidates can force our politicians to raise their game. If standards aren’t raised in this political season we, the electorate, will have to look to ourselves and ask: are we merely getting what we have asked for and accepted? Let’s hope this will not be the case.
