Political scare tactics

SATNARAYAN MAHARAJ

When the PP Government announced that it was bringing the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2014 to the Parliament to be debated, the PNM immediately engaged in scare tactics that were all too familiar to the general populace. Before we engage in any debate concerning the  bill, we must first understand the modus operandi of the Opposition and ignore its scare tactics and study what is being proposed.

 The Opposition is always quick to accuse opponents, or perceived opponents of corruption. When it lost the 2000 general election, not only did it accuse the UNC of stealing the election, but it also went on to vilify the electoral process itself and do a hatchet job on the Elections and Boundaries Commission. It castigated and impugned the integrity of the commission and besmirched the reputations of its members.

 When they won the 2002 general election, the issue of the integrity of the electoral process that delivered their victory was not held up to further public scrutiny. We are still unsure as to whether it undertook any behind-the-scenes “reform” of the EBC in order to avoid any future undesirable election results.

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