Dear Editor,

If one were to consider the possibilities surrounding the results of the next general election dispassionately, it would be clear that if the election were to be held today the People’s National Movement (PNM) would retain the management of Trinidad and Tobago. That is so because on every occasion that it lost, the party was either not in Government or there was a national momentum towards a new political organisation.

One can remember the momentum that existed when the National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR) won the election. In almost every town and village there was the feeling that things would change. The clean-up campaign that followed showed that the people were all on board with the decision to change. The same spirit existed when the United National Congress (UNC) first came into office. It won a second term as it was the incumbent and used its record as its mantra. ‘Performance beats ole talk anytime’ was a slogan that could not be denied.

The People’s Partnership saw the coming together of the Congress of The People (COP) and the UNC with other sectors of the society and smaller political parties taking office. Again, there was a national desire for change and the hope that the new leadership would bring about the change desired. That experiment failed to morph into a long-term, serious alliance that could have inspired the people to hope that change will come again.

Many of the leaders who formed that Government returned to their core organisations, leaving the UNC to attempt to create some kind of political magic to excite the electorate. Can failed leaders inspire such hope? Many on the “political ground” are saying that they cannot be inspired by a leadership that squandered what was perhaps Trinidad and Tobago’s best opportunity for long-lasting unity and progress.

What choices are left for the electorate to pursue? There is widespread disenchantment with the ruling party. The Opposition cannot inspire voters outside of its support base to vote for it, and the other aspiring parties seem to feel they must be part of the UNC to have any chance of being in Government.

The dreamer, the hopeful, the patriot, and the optimist believes there is still the possibility that people of all races, classes, and religions will unite in the best interest of Trinidad and Tobago. These people would vote for a party of honest politicians who would put an end to racial voting patterns and restore management of the country to competent citizens. This would require everyone in every town and village to get involved and organise circles of hopeful people willing to stand for what they believe is good and just.

Hope is a beautiful thing. Making what one hopes for a reality is a blessed success.

Steve Alvarez

Trinidad and Tobago

bilcoa@hotmail.com