Darby Etienne MA Diplomacy
The presidential election in America draws interesting parallels with the leadership contests in the Caribbean. In the US we see a long and engaging process with three presidential debates and one vice presidential debate and we notice a political system where in one election the voters are able to choose the team they would like to represent them in Congress, the Senate and the Presidency.
In contrast most Caribbean countries have held on to the English designed constitutions giving our leaders a false sense of being given a strong mandate that encourages lackadaisical leadership.
Most constitutions do not even present the electorate with a deputy prime minister in the way the United Sates chooses a Vice President with the credentials to take over the leadership is case something happens to the President.
To illustrate how this inadequate electoral system impacts us in the Caribbean, I will highlight the plight of two Caribbean nations where this leadership malfunction has brought about dismal governing by selection without election equals rejection.
I begin on a positive note by paying tribute to two great leaders Hon David Thompson from Barbados and Hon John Compton from St
Hon David Thompson. Photo courtesy nationnews.com
Lucia. These men were truly charismatic leaders who had a sense of direction and were masters in using the levers of government and personal charm to lead and inspire.
So why did the departure of both leaders create such a hiatus in the eyes of their countries’ electorates? My view is that not enough consideration was given, by them and their parties, to the issue of succession. Whilst the philosophy that ‘the moment finds the man’ is comforting in states with strong political structures and a robust civil service that ensures political continuity; in the Caribbean where we do not enjoy such facilities – we need politicians to pay mind to finding and grooming the next generation of leaders.
The charge of ‘one-manism’ made by capable Deputy Prime Minister Bernard Coard against then Grenada’s Prime Minister Maurice Bishop was acknowledgment of western influence.
The deal between St Lucia’s Prime Minister Sir Allan Louisy and his very able leader in Deputy Prime Minister George Odlum to relinquish power to him within six months after elections in 1979 was broken because of pressure from US and UK officials using cold war rhetoric.
These are both enshrined in our political structures whereby deputies are not taken seriously because usually they are allocated positions on the basis that they present no contest in skill or personality to the dominant leader.
To make my argument clearer let’s look at two instances of the transitioning leadership. When Hon John Compton died in 2007 the Chairman of his party Hon. Stephenson King was selected to take over the mantle of leadership.
Politics is led by events, some catastrophic, so there is always the probability of a crisis occurring and our leaders can lose a sense of urgency to create a contingency plan for their eventual demise.
Hon John Compton. Photo courtesy pm.gov.lc
Politics can be more about perceptions than anything else and therefore illness is viewed as a form of weakness; that is why so many leaders tend to remain quiet when they are sick in order to maintain control and avoid mutiny among peers.
What followed Compton was inept leadership, poor vision and a host of other problems, as the public was duped into accepting that leaders can be created by circumstances and not through careful preparation.
Similarly Hon David Thompson died in 2010, again through a brief illness, and his Attorney General Hon Freundel Stuart was chosen as his replacement.
Now don’t get me wrong both men are very wonderful people, loving, understanding willing to give everyone a listening ear but leaders require vision, integrity and authenticity (being the same on the outside as they are on the inside). Simply put neither Stuart nor King had the required X-Factor, and both fell into it by a turn of events.
So in concluding I will repeat the statement in the title, Barbados following St Lucia’s footstep. As the curtains come down on the American election it is closely followed by the Barbadian elections where the Barbados Labour Party will undoubtedly win the election as did the St Lucia Labour Party a year ago.
Owen Arthur. Photo courtesy bajan.wordpress.com
Barbados will follow St Lucia by replacing the accidental incumbent with Owen Arthur a strong leader like Dr Kenny Anthony. So my Caribbean people this is 2012 it is time to change to a constitution that reforms the policy of choosing leaders of our countries in a fashion that owes more to the colours of the party flags than the issues facing the nation.
Judge them on their policies and experiences and insist that they give you the right to influence their choice of their deputies and successors. The same way the Americans base their election on strong leadership with good contingency planning.
If you wish to contact me personally you may email me at [email protected].
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