After forty-five years, it’s time we Bajans had a hard look at how we govern ourselves.
Notoriously reluctant as we are to embrace change, we can’t wait any longer.
The world has changed. We must change too.
So let’s look at some possible reforms.
First of all, there’s the sensible change of our head of state from the British monarch to a Barbadian president.
However, since this is symbolic, and since there’s a significant minority among us whose deep-seated insecurities are inflamed by the mere mention of abandoning the British monarchy, I would not recommend expending any political capital on this change. Wait till a substantial majority is ready.
Our legislature should be restructured. Abolish the Senate, which is a waste of time and money, and institute a unicameral legislature in which community interests, including business organisations and the trade union movement, are officially represented.
They would have a voice but no vote; only elected persons would be able to vote. The goal would be to allow civil society to comment on proposed legislation before it’s passed. It would also strengthen the committee system in Parliament.
We should reform our electoral system to remove some of the disadvantages of the first-past-the-post system without going to the dangerous extreme of proportional representation.
We also need to reform campaign financing to remove influence-peddling of big money.
Both political parties also have to be mature enough to recognize that just because the other party came up with an initiative is no reason to reject it out of hand when they assume office. We are too small a society to waste talent.
In the midst of our economic crisis, all the changes above can wait.
What cannot wait is to make the Social Partnership (SP) an ongoing, effective part of governance.
This would not require any legislative changes, merely a decision by the Cabinet.
The Cabinet could authorize the SP to create action-oriented (no pay!) task forces both to exploit economic opportunities, as well as to come up with specific solutions to social problems, whether it be crime, jobs and foreign exchange earnings, international business, transportation, health care, education or whatever needs addressing urgently, including matters stalled in the bureaucracy that are holding up investment and job-creation. The focus of these task forces should be on solving problems fast.
The aim of expanding the role of the SP is to tap the large pool of skills and ideas in the wider society and to get things done more quickly. The SP itself might take the lead in transforming governance, including public sector reform.
Our elected representatives and civil servants need as much help and advice as they can get, though they may be reluctant to ask for it under the mistaken impression that it would dilute their decision-making power.
They need not fear this, since most recommendations of the task forces would necessarily have to be implemented through the Government.
But there would be a lot more face-to-face contact and cooperation as politicians, civil servants, business persons, trade union representatives and so on worked together side by side to grapple with our common problems.
As a matter of the highest urgency, the SP should appoint as its first order of business a task force to spearhead the economic recovery. We can’t wait. In the absence of a constant coordinated flow of information on the economy from the Government, most people, including investors, are anxious and fearful.
So frustration is growing all the time.
Why the politicians can’t see the advantages to them from this form of cooperation beats me.
If the Government won’t hold out a welcoming hand to those who’re eager to help them, they’re in danger of losing the next election, regardless of leadership.
Worse still, the country’s credit rating is likely to be downgraded to ‘junk’ status.
Shades of 1992-94 all over again!
