There is an old saying that strong fences make good neighbours, as they work to prevent quarrels in the first place by the establishment of clear boundaries. That being the case, I would like to suggest also that strong partners would make for a strong coalition in much the same way and for much the same reasons and would like to suggest to the leadership of the Congress of the People (COP) that it is waking up time. Somewhere along the way the COP took on the role of subservient attender in the People's Partnership, and while on the surface this may appear good for everyone, in reality it does nothing good for anyone as it leaves the party to function as an appendage and a rubber stamp instead of the strong political force its members wants it to be and the counterbalance to the existing parties it ought to be.
No one thing can ever hope to be everything to everyone anymore, and there is no getting away from coalition politics now or anytime soon; the idea of the COP going away or being "absorbed" into the United National Congress (UNC) is a wasted thought that many hopefuls on both sides need to get beyond. That said, and as neither the People's National Movement (PNM) nor the UNC can ever hope to attract the numbers either party requires to win an election outright anytime soon, they should both take steps to establish "relationships" as we may yet see other organisations becoming politically attractive as the educated and the informed make their voices heard. Dethroned former Prime Minister Patrick Manning's famous boast about losing alone may well haunt that party into obscurity if the PNM does not get in touch with the times and what is taking place all over the world. But this is not about that party; its political fortunes is for its own members to deal with.
It is now time for the COP to embrace its date with destiny and to take steps to become a strong and viable political entity and an option for all manner of people as the population and the electorate seeks to break ties with the idea of tribal or racist voting. We need to establish 41 constituency offices and begin a conversation with the people to forge a political identity open to all and to which any national of T&T can identify. This party must be the living idea of every creed and race finding their equal and deserving space with open and fair deliberation and a choice for the "country first" voter, the diehard party supporter and the neutrals alike. This party must be above race even as it seeks to embrace all races; it must be open to every creed, every faith and non-discriminatory in its policies and its agendas.
It must seek to be a place where every Trinidadian and Tobagonian can be free and proud to call their party and know with full conviction that it is where they belong. I would like to propose that any partnership that the COP is a part of can be a success in government if the COP were to return to its founding principles and engage all of the people and help their voices to be heard. With four years before the next constitutionally due election, I would like to propose that we launch a "campaign of inclusion" and move a bandwagon through every constituency at the rate of one a month, and during each month celebrate the people and the history of that month's constituency on a national scale, even as we aim to set up people's offices, appoint managers where we don't already have candidates to engage the people so as to keep their issues alive and part of the national agenda.
We live in times where the people have all of the power and they will not be denied. The Congress of the People is in a perfect position to give all those people a home and a voice and to unite rainbow T&T finally as one twin-island people under one flag. It's time to move beyond all the old talk, bad talk and race talk; it's time to wake up, COP.
Phillip Edward Alexander
phillipalexander99@gmail.com