(This column was first published in the Amandala issue of Friday, June 9, 1995)
Reform … a thought …
They say that politics is the art of the possible. They say politics is public opinion, loud and clear. They say that anything you do, somebody can do it better … they say anything you say, somebody will criticize it.
Charles de Gaulle said: “Politics is too serious a matter to be left to the politicians.”
Nikita Kruschev said: “Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build a bridge even where there is no river.”
Be that as it may, one criticizes, but one hopes constructively. The feat is not only to criticize, but having done so, to present an alternative option, an opinion, a suggestion, another way. Knowing that it may be imperfect and full of flaws, one presents with the hope of stimulating others to examine, analyze, and criticize. With the public so involved, one believes that the consensus arrived at will make for a better society. Nothing personal, just an opinion, loud and clear.
The Westminster model of government has failed the Belizean people, and it will continue to do so. Some reasons for same have been previously expressed. A retort has been given and is now being marketed that “it has not failed, but it has not worked,” because of the caliber of the representatives so far elected. That as soon as decent, intelligent; morally upright, Christian men are elected, the system will work because these pure and incorruptible backbenchers will overthrow their leaders whenever anything is done against their conscience and their country. These principled men will initiate a no-confidence vote, as to cause the fall of the incumbent administration. As all things in Belize, it sounds good and reads better, but…
It will not happen, because we have been and continue to be trained to be fearful. We have been educated to read and write, not to discriminate. We have been conditioned to perpetuate the ideas of our master, not to create. We have been programmed to do as I say, not as I do. When the one or two have dared to question, to doubt to be skeptical, he/she has been ridiculed, ostracized, exiled.
There is no philosophical base.
Failure to understand this will perpetuate the doublespeak: “The system has not failed, but it has not worked.” No backbenchers in this country will ever initiate a vote of no confidence in the legislature of this country in the Westminster system. For one thing, “the backbenchers” are biding their time to become Ministers themselves, so as to enjoy the power, privileges and perks of the office. For a second thing, once elected they are governed by the doctrine of the paramountcy of the party, and not by the wishes of the people. They forget during their tenure of office that the people make the party, and not the party the people. There are no checks and balances. There are no mechanisms to indict and recall errant legislators, although there is a lot of rhetoric about such. The electors should not have to depend on the good Christian conduct, hoped-for moral uprighteousness, or enlightened benevolence of their representatives. There was only one Jesus. No, legislation must be in place, written in law, so that “when power corrupts,” it can be stopped immediately from extending to “absolute power corrupts absolutely”. No. Backbenching in Belize is an illusion. We need a new system of government.
That talk is now germinating about political reform stirs hope that it will grow into the tree of a modified Republican model of government. There are obviously other models out there (are we ready for the Athenian one?). However, we have an opportunity to test this one on a micro scale at the next City Council election soon to be. The suggestion is to conduct the City election as it is with the present electoral machinery. The modification will be that the top II vote getters will form the Council in the following manner: the Mayor and Deputy Mayor will be decided directly by the electors for 4 ½ years, by adding in the ballot columns for Mayor (M) and Deputy Mayor (DM). The candidates with the most M’s and DM’s in the polls move to the Mayor’s office as Mayor and Deputy Mayor (DM), and the remaining top nine vote getters constitute the Council. The administration is then carried out on the modified American model. This will permit us to fine tune the national model. This will eliminate the internecine warfare that rages yearly in the selection of a new Mayor, and the interference of the nation’s parties in that choice. All municipal matters are thus in the hands of “the people.” This permits every Joe Citizen the opportunity to present himself as a candidate for Mayor, once the criteria for candidature are met.
Since the City is being prepared to become autonomous (such as the present survey of City properties now in progress), let’s institute the reform so that the debts of the Civic Centre, the Commercial Center, the Infrastructure Project, etc. can be solved by the “brains” of the City, and such as the imposition of increased water rates and other such can be determined by the City residents, and not by the flourish of a pen.
This is a suggestion, a proposal, an option, call it what you will. I am free to think; therefore, I am free to act (with responsibility). In conjunction with one’s fellow citizen’s opinions, ideas, etc., we can replace this impoverishing morass that is the Westminster system. Indeed, to survive as a people, we must.
“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” – Edmund Burke.