The “wipeout” of Tillman Thomas’ first-term National Democratic Congress administration at Tuesday’s general election in Grenada was a stunning political development that has left governance in that CARICOM state where it was some 16 years ago – without a parliamentary opposition.
What generally happens in such a situation, moreso in small states with vulnerable economies – such as Grenada – is the inclination of the governing party to abuse its powers.
Worse, the twin evil of nepotism and corruption tends to thrive more effectively if the government fails to institute an effective system of checks and balances and shows little interest in encouraging and sustaining meaningful consultation with legitimate social partners and representative institutions.
A media colleague from Trinidad and Tobago sent me an email Wednesday to express concern about “these clean sweep victories . . . first for the Tobago House of Assembly, now Grenada. Not liking these clean sweep victories at all . . . . Wonder what will happen in Barbados.”
I told my colleague about my own dislike for such “clean sweep” electoral victories but gave the assurance that whatever the official outcome of yesterday’s general election in Barbados, no such political occurrence was expected. At worst, for the governing Democratic Labour Party (DLP), the electorate could, for the first time, bring an end to a virtual institutionalized pattern of giving the incumbent a second chance.
This column was being written on the eve of yesterday’s general election, while the two traditional political thoroughbreds – DLP and Barbados Labour Party – had their campaign troops feverishly engaged in mobilizing potential voters, particularly in so-called marginal constituencies.
And even if, as expected, the voters confirm poll predictions of defeat for the DLP, I still anticipate a respectable outcome to sustain the tradition of a strong and vibrant multi-party parliamentary system of governance in this nation. The complete official results would be generally known before you read today’s column.
In the case of Grenada’s poll verdict, leader of the victorious New National Party (NNP) and former three-term prime minister, Dr Keith Mitchell, deserves the congratulations being showered. After all, Tuesday’s verdict was a stunning “tek-all” repeat of an electoral sweep that the mathematician/politician had first achieved back in 1999 when his NNP captured the entire 15-member House of Representatives.
It is to be hoped that after three successive terms as head of government in Grenada, one of the popular tourist resorts in the Caribbean region, Mitchell would seek to avoid the sort of ugly allegations he had to confront in office and demonstrate his capacity to foster a consultative democracy in a country without a parliamentary opposition.
• Rickey Singh is a noted Caribbean journalist.
