As we approach the end of another year, one cannot help but wonder what 2020 will bring for the people of Anguilla. We anticipate that during the first half of the year, we will have a general election under a new electoral system which will see each voter being able to select up to five persons to sit in the House of Assembly. This new system arguably puts more power in the hands of the electorate to choose persons they believe are most capable of leading Anguilla successfully. However, I often wonder whether our people realise the power of those five votes — which will give each of us a say in who occupies five out of the eleven seats (almost half of the seats) in the House of Assembly. I view this as an awesome responsibility, and a welcome opportunity, to have more of an input in the composition of one of the most important arms of government.
It is therefore my intention, and it should be yours as well, to pay close attention to the candidates who have presented themselves for office — and to those who are yet to come forward. I will therefore be closely examining their words but most importantly their actions, including their conduct in their private lives as this is a good indicator of how they will conduct themselves if they are privileged to hold public office.
Thus far, we have had the Anguilla Progressive Movement (APM) present its slate of seven district candidates and one at large candidate. We await further candidate announcements from that Movement as time goes on. The Anguilla United Front (AUF) was second out of the starting blocks declaring its full slate of eleven candidates. We have also seen, or had confirmation, of at least five independent at large candidates of various ages and backgrounds. I am sure that collectively we all welcome the emergence of newcomers in the political arena. We are seeing the youth and the young at heart stepping forward to take up the mantle of working for a better Anguilla. It signals that young people are willing to be involved in the governance of our country and assume responsibility for the direction of its development.
Unfortunately, it is also noticeable that by and large politics in Anguilla has not matured. It has been clear for some time now that there are no significant ideological differences between political parties in Anguilla and, so far, the same can be said of the independent candidates who have presented themselves for office. Politics in Anguilla therefore boils down to a popularity contest. As all good politicians the world over would do, our politicians also speak of the need to improve education, health, employment opportunities and infrastructure. This all sounds good on any political platform, but if we pay close attention we would recognize that very few tell us HOW. There are many words, but no real plan. Their manifestos are usually a long wish list of things that they would like to have done, but these wish lists are not grounded in reality, and are often not well researched and thought out, which often results in them being unachievable.
Additionally, we can already tell we are in for the long haul with the old methods of smear campaigns being used to malign rivals. This, again, is due in part to the lack of ideological differences between parties or candidates. It seems that many candidates believe the only way they can distinguish themselves is by denigrating and defaming others. It is sad that politicians still find it necessary (and the populace finds it acceptable and, in some cases, laughable) to launch smear campaigns and to use the power of social media to spread misinformation for political mileage. Wouldn’t that time be better spent crafting a realistic and achievable plan, for Anguilla, that sets out developmental goals and how they would be achieved?
I don’t know about others, but my five votes will be guarded zealously. I am not giving them out like candy. They will be reserved for the candidates who have demonstrated maturity of thought (and this has nothing to do with age) in their articulation of the issues facing Anguilla — and have come up with sound, practical ways in which those issues can be addressed. My votes will be reserved for candidates who are more focused on sharing what they bring to the table than on demeaning others; and for candidates who demonstrate integrity and sound judgment in their personal and public lives. When I cast my five votes, they will be for the persons I believe have the vision, and the capacity, to lead Anguilla to be a country celebrated for cultural pride, social equity, human development and economic prosperity. I want my five votes to count. Do you?
