The Caribbean Young Democrat Union (CYDU), the youth arm of the Caribbean Democrat Union (CDU), says it is taking steps to get a deeper understanding of the reasons for voter apathy in the region, towards finding solutions to the challenge and improving youth participation in the political process.

Earlier in August, the CYDU in partnership with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) hosted a power panel on “Youth Voter Apathy in the Caribbean”.

The event was hosted by Secretary General of the CDU, Nick Francis. Panellists included CYDU Chairman, Kendron Christopher, United Democratic Party in Belize representative, Anazette Olivera and Nikoli Edwards who’s the leader of the Progressive Party in Trinidad & Tobago. Senator Judd Cadet of the New National Party in Grenada also participated in the discussion.

Christopher opened the conversation with an overview of research undertaken in Jamaica to determine some of the motivational factors for young people to register and vote. He noted that the factors include but are not limited to the quality of the candidate, campaign strategies used, and youth-centred policies and programmes which provide a tangible benefit to this voting bloc. 

Olivera meanwhile shared her experience as a first time candidate in the Belize Municipal Elections in March 2021, while Senator Cadet spoke to the issue of tokenism in Caribbean politics when it comes to the inclusion and participation of young people.

Cadet called for greater and deeper engagement with young people at the legislative, community and grassroots levels to encourage their participation in the decision making process. The senator also noted that this was a critical time for our region which faces several external threats such as climate change and the economic hardship caused by the pandemic, arguing that now is the time for young people to get involved in the electoral process and to influence the decisions that are made are in their best interests. 

The panellists also spoke on the importance of youth parliaments and the need for increased training and development opportunities for young people who are interested in the political sphere. 

The CDU sais that, in partnership with the WFD, it continues its work to increase youth participation in politics across the Caribbean through research, dialogue and policy development at the political party level.