My fellow Anguillians, many will know that my political journey has not been an easy one by any standards. However, every day I am humbled by the faith and trust that the people of District One have placed in me to be their Representative. I am also honoured to serve you in the capacity of Opposition Leader, a duty which I take very seriously, to ensure that the best interests of all Anguillians remain the top priority in our governance and development.
This call to serve within the highest offices of the land is one that I have gladly answered. I was inspired to do this because the people of my district recognized that a change in leadership and representation was a top priority. I was also inspired by the work of the Anguilla revolutionaries who, in the face of much adversity, were driven by the dream of an Anguilla free from tyranny and oppression. They too answered the call to liberate our country from the hands of a brutal regime and to give of their best to pave a pathway to peace and prosperity for our people. As I reflect on the events that have shaped who we are as a country and as a people, I recall the simple, yet profound, words of great leaders like the late John F. Kennedy who said in his inaugural speech, as the 35th President of the United States on January 20th 1961, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country”.
To be a servant of the people is a heavy and a solemn undertaking – yet this opportunity that was afforded to me to do so has been one of the greatest blessings that God has ever bestowed upon my life. And there are many others who have heard and must answer the call to serve, to take Anguilla forward to better days. The question we must now ask ourselves is – have we opened the doors to all that qualify? Have we removed all the barriers that hinder our people from giving of themselves for the good of all Anguillians? As we go through the process of electoral reform, these are important questions that must be asked.
It is important to note that specific recommendations from the Constitutional Reform Committee have been implemented by the current administration – i.e. removing the disqualification for Ministers of Religion and persons of dual nationality to seek elected membership. However, I wonder why we have not taken additional steps to also provide a level playing field for our public servants (with the exception of Permanent Secretaries and Deputy Governors) to seek higher office should they feel called to do so?
For public servants, there should be no barriers or hindrances which prevent them from seeking a higher calling to serve our beloved Anguilla. Currently, Section 37(1)(c) of our Constitution specifies that any person who “holds or is acting in any office of emolument in the service of the Crown” is disqualified from being nominated or elected as a member of the House of Assembly. Such a law forces any public servant to resign his/her job in order to be nominated to run for elected membership in Anguilla. This is a significant risk that public servants are forced to take since no provision is made in our laws to guarantee them a return to their previous post or equivalent position in the public service should they be unsuccessful in our first past the post electoral system. How can this be fair when Ministers of Religion are no longer forced to resign, nor persons with dual nationality forced to rescind their citizenship of a foreign country?
The current circumstance acts as a deterrent to many of our public servants who wish to give of themselves, their talents, skills and abilities for the betterment of the country and our people. We have seen instances where such laws have been exploited and used as a tool for political victimization or intimidation against those whose only desire is to serve their fellow citizens honourably. A recent example of this was seen in St. Vincent and the Grenadines where three teachers: Kenroy Johnson, Addison Thomas and Elvis Daniel, ran as candidates for the Opposition New Democratic Party in the 2010 general elections and were forced to resign their jobs at the last minute since the “election leave provision” in the collective bargaining agreement signed between the teachers’ union and the ULP government in 2005 was not honoured. The election leave provision allowed for teachers to request special leave to run for office with the understanding that they would be re-hired if they were unsuccessful. At the time, the ULP government claimed that it was “aspirational” and not binding. As a result, these teachers were left to struggle financially for several years. Can you imagine being a trained teacher unable to work in your own country and support your family? Thankfully, in January of this year the Court of Appeal in St. Vincent and the Grenadines ruled in favour of the teachers and ordered the government to pay their pensions.
This is a truly sad case which exemplifies the point of political victimization and intimidation that I alluded to earlier. In Anguilla, such a circumstance can also be exploited as a tool to instil fear in those who wish to serve their country as elected representatives. Indeed, the fear of losing one’s livelihood and financial stability is extreme. We cannot afford for our country to be pulled in this direction and we now have an opportunity to make it right. In neighbouring St. Maarten, provisions are made within their laws that allow public servants to resign, contest elections and re-enter the public service in the same or equal post if they are unsuccessful.
If we are truly interested in the deepening of our democracy and expanding the potential of representation in Anguilla, then we must work to implement the necessary reforms that provide a level playing field for public servants who wish to contest general elections here. This is the right thing to do. I have raised this point in the Select Committee on Electoral Reform and I urge all citizens to do the same during the public consultations. We are sending a disastrously wrong message if we open the doors to Ministers of Religion and persons with dual citizenship to contest elections, but in the same breath make no provision for public servants to do the same without serious risk to their livelihoods should they be unsuccessful at the polls. Sadly, in other Caribbean countries, similar circumstances abound. We now have an opportunity to let Anguilla be an example to others, by demonstrating how much we value the contributions of our hard working public servants. Open the doors for greater representation and let our public servants be given the chance to be elected members and serve their fellow countrymen without fear of victimization.
It is an honour to serve as an elected member of our great nation. This opportunity should be afforded to as many persons as possible who qualify, and we now have a chance to do just that. I urge my colleagues in the House of Assembly, and those sitting on the Select Committee for Electoral Reform, to carefully consider this recommendation. Constitutional and Electoral Reform should not be viewed through the lens of political expediency but rather should be viewed as building a better Anguilla and deepening democracy through effective representation. As we celebrate Anguilla Day this week, let’s give the gift of greater and stronger representation through electoral reforms. This can be achieved now, and for future generations – Let’s make it happen.
