Clyde Weatherhead
The PM in his Republic Day message called on all citizens "to take stock of what is going on in parliamentary sittings" and pay attention "specifically to the way this representation is exercised in the Parliament".
The basis for the PM's appeal is that "A Republican form of Government is a system whereby citizens rule through their elected representatives." Based on this premise, he continued, "We cannot hold our leaders to account if we are ignorant of the quality of their representation."
Our experience, as citizens, of Parliament and of parliamentary representatives since Independence and Republican status over the last 56 years, calls into question the whole argument advanced by the PM in his message.
QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED:
Reality imposes some questions which we must answer: Do Citizens Rule? Do MPs represent citizens (electors)?
Since the 1990s when candidate walkabouts were becoming fashionable, I have asked every candidate two questions:
1. If you are elected, how will you know what we are thinking about the things you debate in Parliament?
2. If we are not satisfied with what you are saying or doing as MP, what can we do about you?
Here are some answers I got:
1996: Those are party matters. 2001: You can come to the (party) office and discuss them.
Well, in five years, not much improved, and it hasn't since. At least the second candidate contemplated the possibility of discussing my concerns. But, at his convenience and at his party's office.
In all my life, I have never encountered a parliamentary representative calling a meeting of electors (whom he is supposed to represent) to discuss any piece of legislation that his/her party was taking to Parliament.
Some Opposition MPs have had meetings with constituents about government legislation which they oppose. But, that is not very often.
Generally, parliamentarians do NOT represent citizens. They represent their parties in Parliament. What they put on the Order Paper is decided by their party and what they say is decided by their party caucus. How they vote is directed by their party whip and their political leader.
There is no requirement for either consultation or reporting in the provisions of the Constitution. None existed before 1976 and none have been included since.
Even Local Government representatives tell burgesses that they can attend statutory meetings which are generally at an inconvenient time and even if a citizen goes, they are merely spectators.
The "Conversations with the Prime Minister" conducted by this PM or street political party meetings to "account to the people" organised by his predecessor, Manning, do not amount to either genuine consultations or accounting between elected parliamentarians and electors.
In my experience, I know of few Local Government councillors who held regular meetings with their burgesses.
In my constituency, my last Opposition MP for Arouca/Maloney held some meetings with constituents mainly to oppose projects proposed by the Government.
I share this example. The Government proposed to locate a Family Court in our community in an area with mostly commercial properties located nearby. The MP mounted a campaign to oppose such a court arguing that it would lower residents' property values and that criminals would be in our community.
What the MP did not say was that the Family Court in Port-of-Spain is located on Cipriani Boulevard and property values in that area have never fallen, nor are criminals roaming that neighbourhood.
The end result is that with her party now in government, the site for the Family Court is now the location for the construction of a second major mall in the Trincity area.
So, as it turns out, 'representation' was for the interests of the owners of the new mall who do not even belong to the constituency and not for the interests of the citizens.
When the PM says that "A Republican form of government is a system whereby citizens rule through their elected representatives" the basis of his position is completely false.
Political parties represent interests, but, those are the interests of the propertied and moneyed minority and not the citizens of the constituencies.