While most of the population seems overly anxious about elections and election, I really couldn't care less. Not that I am trivialising the importance of having the right to cast a ballot for the party of your choice, but nothing so far–and one hopes that this will change before election day–has moved me to consider either of the major players.
On one side you have 'mis-steppers' and 'blunderers' and on the other you have old faces that are known failures. Skirting the sidelines are many smaller factions with no known constituency, but one whose leadership is more closet UNC than anything else. But like other places in the world, rabid support for political parties is very present here. You give them your adulation and guaranteed votes by the hundreds of thousands without question and then get treated like dirt. Behind the flashing smiles and platform rhetoric, however, are the political investors whose votes are few but dollars are plenty. They expect to benefit with appointments, contracts or rentals worth millions while you get a box drain and a condescending 'your government working for you.'
But the real issue for me is that no one is willing to talk about what matters most to me. The incumbents have had five years, but getting five minutes attention from my MP and PM was impossible. Tell me, how difficult is it to speak to me about fixed date for elections, term limits for office holders, separation of legislature and executive, abolishing our 'first family' and its attendant costs, a bicameral parliament of elected members, not one half appointed, a police service that has an elected head and not some ineffective system that just can't work in appointing one much less with authority to make real change, a public service that works and real thought into our infrastructural needs instead of which contractor should make money this term? Much less about personal safety when you are on the wrong side of the dealmakers who want their millions and a person's life is worth nothing?
But age brings weariness with wisdom. You understand that political power has always been more about controlling purse strings than policies and programmes, that you have to accept democracy for what it is (majority wins even if you don't like it) and that Gandhi was wrong when he said to never underestimate the power of one man to change the world. Like retired Justice Ventour, I too can say challenge me on any of the above, but will abide by Mark Twain's dictum about arguing with fools.
Joshua Merrick
Enterprise