WE RECENTLY SAW how the politics of fear and division has won in the United States, but also in terms of “Brexit”. It is my hope that we do not follow these recent political shifts in our own election, which is constitutionally due to occur by early 2018.
If our politicians advocate political campaigns based on attacking each other, and if we as voters support those campaigns, it will only hurt Barbados.
It hurts Barbados by splitting this small island at a time when we most need to come together and collectively address the challenges facing us. We all need to work together because these challenges can and do affect all of us and cannot be solved alone.
The run-up to our election is an opportunity for all people who are running for political office to outline what exactly they will do when they are in power to resolve the ongoing concerns for Bajans.
We need solutions to the problems impacting us and to the areas that we say matter to us, whether that be water supply, gunplay, potholes or otherwise. This sharing of solutions allows the public to be more informed in their decisions on how to vote. It also publicises political commitments that can be used to hold those in power accountable during their period in office.
After all, the public’s political power is not limited to election time or to the vote. There are other ways, such as speaking out through social media, in which the public can put pressure on those in power in order to ensure that they are acting in the best interests of the people.
It is my personal hope that as we move closer to a general election we do not seek to pull each other down, but rather seek to identify realistic solutions and come together to chart a course for the future.
– LOUISE ARMSTRONG
