Politics is a difficult pursuit which is why it is difficult to define or measure success or failure in political life. Politics is also concerned with how and what we communicate. It is adversarial in nature as each side scores points by pointing out the failures of the other side, not successes, to inflict reputational damage and therefore limit credibility.
But if politics is about managing public relations, managing a country is a more hard-nosed affair. Governing a country requires that real issues be addressed by implementing solutions that can work for the benefit of all. This means using the immense power reposed in the State to get the job done.
The Constitution has built-in checks and balances that probably frustrate elected officials. They are designed to limit the power of elected officials to certain boundaries to prevent the Executive branch from riding roughshod over citizens’ rights. This is an ever-present danger as French president Emmanuel Macron has discovered.
Extending the retirement age by two years to age 64 was forced through the legislature within the law. It may have been legal and the technically-correct choice, financially and demographically, but it did not have the support of the population. It has led to widespread protest and agitation and squandered his political capital.
In T&T, no administration has been guilty of the kind of clear and decisive action associated with the Macron example. Quite the opposite. Key decisions are postponed or avoided as they are too politically sensitive until a crisis can be created to justify the action that would ordinarily have been self-evident and ought to have been taken years before.
Our elected officials speak glibly about what they deem their responsibility, rather than accepting their accountability to engage the power of the State. The current crime problem is an outstanding example of this failure.
Citizens have difficulty understanding why elected officials with multiple degrees cannot fix the country’s problems. They conclude either the county is ungovernable, elected officials aren’t competent, or the problem is too complex.
The reality is that political objectives and priorities are sometimes at odds with what is best for the country. Politicians focus on their longevity, popularity, influence, and how that extends their party’s chances of electoral success, not how best to govern the country.
Hence much of the political platform rhetoric is about the past, the failures of previous administrations, and allegations of corruption.
Running a country requires a focus wider than a political diatribe. It encompasses many disciplines and managing the country’s financial and people resources is the key task. Politicians are in a leadership role, however unsuited they may be to that responsibility.
They are elected to govern and serve the needs of the entire country, not selected communities or tribes. They must shape policy and manage the country’s resources in a manner that benefits all. That means prudent investment and expenditure decisions, that will properly position people and the country to meet the existing and emerging challenges. And there are many challenges.
Gang violence and the current state of lawlessness did not happen overnight. Blame cannot be ascribed to any one political party or group. Abu Bakr repeatedly indicated that all parties looked to him and his groups for assistance in winning elections, claims which were never forcibly denied. To move the country forward politicians have to change their approach and tone.