My vote in the next Nevis local election is up for grabs. Again! If anybody wants it bad enough, they’d better do something about it.Fast! The two political parties in Nevis seem to be revving up for the oncoming election with the most lackluster approach imaginable.Pity! Maybe they each expect to grab my attention at the last moment with something spectacular. I wonder what it could be.
They’ve already named their candidates, and of course, there’s nothing spectacular there. So…? The signs and slogans that have sprouted up all over the place, are neither attractive nor very imaginative. Hmmm. And the pronouncements from either side that have appeared in the press, are either predictable, or forgettable. Sometimes, and perhaps more often, both.
The party in opposition has a number of writers regularly venting their disapproval in the press about some of the administration’s actions and personnel. They do so in a manner that is redundant and tiresome. This is unfortunate, because a great deal of what they have been trying to say, merits serious consideration by everyone. At least in my opinion. Yet nothing turns me off quicker than the seemingly endless repetitions of various complaints, in the curious manner and spirit they all seem to have adopted. Although they do exhibit some originality, there is a greater element of monotony boring through which mars most of their pieces. Tee dee um, tee dee um, tee dee um… tsk, tsk, tsk!
The incumbents on the other hand, scarcely say anything in the press about anything that amounts to very much. Even for a person like me who doesn’t mind the challenge of trying to read between the lines, if the incumbents simply don’t supply many lines to read between to begin with, then trying to read between them isn’t really worth the challenge in the end. Can you follow that?
In case you’re wondering what my point is, consider the matter of image; every political party and candidate should be striving to present themselves in the best possible image for public scrutiny as an election approaches. Anybody got a Nikon…? I’m certainly not going to rush out to give my vote to an image that I’m uncomfortable with. Don’t scowl! And there are a lot of other voters out there like me. Image may not be everything, but it can have a considerable influence on the outcome of an election. Smile – you’re on Candid (Nevis) Camera.
Despite the fact that Nevis has unarguably prospered during the current administration’s reign, it is also true that this same administration has not always performed flawlessly. In fact I might even go so far as to support the view that since first taking office, its overall performance has been flawful. Whose hasn’t? Yet, in comparison with the image of the previous regime, its flaws are ameliorated by the tremendous change in our island’s economic and social conditions. Brother, can you spare a dime, I mean a dollah!
But the images that each of the parties are presenting, at present, do not reveal much of anything that sways me. Frankly, if there were a third political party out there with some new blood and fresh ideas, I might be more interested in their platform, and in voting for a different voice and a different image. But the way things are at the moment, I am truly dismayed by what I see and hear of the two political parties that currently exist on Nevis. I am not favourably impressed at all with either their performances, or the images they project. Who could be?
It has been my contention that the formal relationship between the two islands that form the Federation of St.Kitts and Nevis, is the issue of greatest importance for Nevisians and should have been pursued with the greatest diligence by both of the political parties in Nevis. Other opinions may differ of course. One of the parties had staked the claim that Constitutional Reform was the proper remedy. The other party saw Independence for Nevis as the only truly practical solution. Fine – but where the heck is the action – are both bluffing – what’s going on here…?
From the results of the referendum and the elections that have been held since then, it should be clear that this is an issue that should have been dealt with, with extreme urgency. Yet both political parties have been acting as though they are afraid to show any initiative. So much for the bold, talented, innovative, and dedicated leadership that they both claim! So much for the examples of hardworking, selfless, tireless, champions of the people they want you to believe they are, or will be if elected to office! So much for… oh, but why go on, you get my drift I’m sure. Look alive fellahs!
Just the other day I saw a little piece in the paper where one of our leaders was saying that the quest of independence for Nevis “is still on course.” Oh, come on…! That’s not the sort of statement that sends a thrill of excitement through the crowds. That’s not the sort of thing that fills anybody with enthusiasm and a desire to participate and get involved. What’s the good of being on course if there is no sign of movement? Get real!
I’ve been on flights to Europe and other places a number of times. While the plane was still on the ground preparatory to takeoff, the captain would announce the destination, average speed, and scheduled time of arrival. There was never any mention of being on course until we were actually in the air and headed in the right direction. But getting those few early details, gave passengers confidence that we were in capable hands.People need and appreciate these kinds of details!
Being on course without movement is like a sailing ship being stuck in the doldrums, which is that region of equatorial ocean noted for dead calm or light fluctuating breezes. As a result, in the old days, many of such a ship’s unlucky crew would sometimes perish before a more favourable wind came along. If we’re really still on course, “full speed ahead” is what we want to hear from a sea captain in these modern times! It makes absolutely no sense to me for anybody to proudly proclaim that we’re still on course, while lolling about in the doldrums. Get a move on there. Breathe some signs of life into this thing, willya!
But enough of that! To my mind, most of the politicians in Nevis are either sadly lacking the “vision” they would like the rest of us to believe they possess, or if they ever really did have the vision, it has now become so badly blurred that they’d be just as well served by optical illusions. I don’t think it is an illusion though, that an election is fairly close at hand. I think that that is a reality that will all too soon come to pass.
The big problem for me, if not for most of the electorate, is that the more I consider the options, the less I see that appeals to me. I do intend to do my civic duty though, on election day, whenever that is. I will cast my vote in a manner that I feel will allow me to live comfortably with my conscience. In the meantime though, trying to sort through the political mish mash that the politicians in Nevis have created, is like grasping at straws in the wind. Very elusive!
Luckily, at the time of writing this, the election campaign hasn’t officially started yet. So there is still time for the parties and the candidates to get a better grip on the important issues, and to articulate more clearly, concisely, and vigorously, just what their position really is, and how they intend to perform on the biggest one of all – the relationship between Nevis and St.Kitts. And they should also give us some details that will build our confidence and help us to feel that we’ll be in capable hands on the journey. Then when voters go to the polls, we’ll have a much better idea of how to cast our votes. But at the moment, like I said at the beginning of this piece, I haven’t got a clue, and my vote is up for grabs. Tee dee um, tee dee um – oh, what am I doing…!
