It is fast approaching one year since our new Government swooped into power on a “Change Can’t Wait” agenda. They have faced many challenges, the greatest of which is the COVID-19 pandemic. We must give kudos to Premier, Dr Ellis Webster, a medical doctor; Permanent Secretary Foster Rogers; Chief Medical Officer, Dr Aisha Andrewin; and the entire health team — for helping us to navigate this pandemic relatively unscathed.
However, it is hard to ignore the growing sense of discontentment in the population regarding the performance of our Government. Day after day, social media is rife with voice notes and messages, and the radio talk shows are on fire with conversations etc., which echo a similar sense of dismay and regret. While we anticipate that with any Government, there will be persons who disagree with some of their decisions, it is surprising that some of our Government’s staunchest supporters have so quickly severed ties — and are publicly disassociating themselves from the APM Party.
This is a signal that the honeymoon is officially over. Our Government’s mettle will now be tested. They will have to prove their worth. They have to demonstrate that the people of Anguilla made the right choice in electing them to office. They have to bring about the positive change they so eloquently spoke about during the election campaign. I say positive change because one complaint of their immediate past supporters is that the change they have gotten is not the change they voted for. I don’t want to get into all of that, but our Government must be under significant pressure knowing that they have lost support so quickly from persons who claim to have played a critical role in their election to office. It is for this reason, and many more, that I couldn’t be a politician. People can turn against you in an instant.
I would have appealed in several editorials, over the past months, for persons to give our new Government a chance to lead. I asked that we be patient with them and lend them our support. I still think we owe them that because, as a collective, we elected them to office. However, it is clear that my words were either not read or fell on deaf ears — and it seems “the gloves have come off”.
Apart from the Government as a whole, there also seems to be discontent with the conduct and statements of certain members of Government — both within the ranks of the APM Party and in the general population. This is leading to a growing sentiment of discord and distrust which is undermining public confidence in the Government. I would urge the Premier and his Government to try to address these issues quickly and put in place damage control measures — otherwise, the seeming lack of public confidence will become septic and spread like a cankerous sore.
While there are difficult decisions to be made, particularly in relation to balancing health and economic considerations in the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, I would encourage our leaders to exercise compassion, be consistent in their messaging — and while seeking to ensure the safety of the whole population, demonstrate a willingness to explore all options so that individual rights and freedoms are not compromised. History has shown that slowly chipping away at such rights and freedoms over time, even with good intentions, can lead to disenfranchisement, disempowerment and State oppression. We must guard against this jealously.
As a democracy, for over forty years our Constitution has guaranteed the rights and freedoms of the individual. While we appreciate that those rights and freedoms are not unqualified, in that there are some instances in which societal wellbeing will trump individual rights – nonetheless, we must seek to preserve those rights or risk authoritarian creep.
This is just one issue of the many our Government will have to grapple with during the remainder of their term in office. Rather than sending voice notes, messages — and the list goes on — I believe our time would be better spent offering support and solutions. The honeymoon may be over, but the Government still have another four years left to bring about the change they promised. Despite the naysayers, they can’t throw in the towel. They must press on.
