As the discussion of the elected Senate continues in our various media, there is one aspect that it appears there is complete consensus on – the Senate is supposed to be a watchdog, a check-and-balance to the House of Representatives. Various formulas and strategies have been forwarded as to how, as a people, we might get the Senate to perform the functions we want it to, so as not to continue with the dictatorship of Cabinet or the majority party in the House. Thus, the proposal for an elected Senate.
The stumbling block seems to be that, even if we elect our Senators, and even at mid-term, there remains the risk that the majority party in the House might still undermine the system and manage to get its party nominees elected to the Senate. In the ideal situation, by this approach, the best we could hope for is to limit the majority party dictatorship to two or two and a half year stretches, if they become very unpopular and lose the mid-term Senate elections.
Here is another angle that may add some fuel to the debate towards the solution of the Senate dilemma. Some form of an elected Senate seems the way to go; but we need a new premise. No longer should political parties be allowed to dominate the membership in the Senate. In fact, let’s outlaw the running of political party candidates in the elections to the Senate. The proposed new premise is that, if the Senate is to be a watchdog to the House of Representatives, then we have absolutely no need of party affiliates in the Senate election process. Each political party in the House may be allowed one appointed member in the Senate to at least have their say in trying to lobby support for their party’s position. In this way, for example, the role of the governing party’s appointed Senate “leader” would be reduced from his lofty pedestal to somewhat of an observer status, while the “real” (not “rubber stamp”) Senators debate and vote on the Bills sent down from the House.
If we look at the situation from this new angle, it then appears patently absurd, ridiculous, obscene and illogical (bull__t) to actually have the majority party in the House holding the majority clout also in the Senate, as we presently do. No doubt, that is why the result is that we ended up with some otherwise intelligent, “God fearing” and reasonable individuals in the Senate, piously excusing their “aye” vote with crocodile tears, while making party loyalty declarations that make them appear to be less than honorable, and certainly harming their reputations.
The argument will be made that there is nothing to stop a political party from still supporting and endorsing candidates to the Senate election. Granted. But this is where, as some KREM WUB callers have been insisting, the electorate, the Belizean people will have to become engaged to ensure that the process is not undermined. And this is where the media, and informed, patriotic and civic-minded individuals come in.
A people’s publicity campaign of education and information needs to target the vital importance of the elected Senate NOT to be a party political affair. We must extol the virtue of the need, for the sheer legitimacy of the Senate, that the candidates be, as much as humanly possible, completely insulated from party political pressure or intimidation. To be good watchdogs, the Senators need to look through crystal clear lenses, not tinted blue, red or any other party color. They should not be against a Bill, just to oppose; or be in favor of a Bill, just to support a party. If we educate our people on this critical component, then the message should be clear to all the political parties that their public endorsement or support for any Senate nominee would not be well received, and may even be viewed as outright skullduggery, and undermining the best interests of the Belizean people. (If a stranger befriends your yard watchdog, would you feel comfortable?) For, if the political parties don’t want us to have good watchdogs, then they would be exposing themselves as potential “crooks” who do, indeed, want to get into the people’s “cookie jar”, as Hon. Finnegan likes to put it.
Another argument that political parties dare not make, is the one often put to the electorate when independents or new parties enter the arena for general elections. That argument is that only a strong, nationally active political party can form a credible government for the Belizean nation. Many Belizean voters, regardless to the merits of that argument, appear to have been sold on that idea, and thus still think in terms of only blue and red come election time. But that argument has absolutely no place in our discussion of the Senate. The Senate’s job is NOT to “run” the government, just to “watch” it, and “check” it where the situation warrants.
The House of Representatives, of whatever political party or parties, is the arm of government that “runs things”. The Senate has no need to have a manifesto, or any special ideology, or unity. So people need to understand that each Senator should be elected strictly on his own merit, and certainly not on the basis of any party allegiance. At the very least, if any elected Senator turns out to be an undercover agent of a political party, under this new approach, he would not DARE disclose that fact, let alone disgrace himself by making such a shameful claim in the office of the elected Senate. It should perhaps be written into the new law that any such acknowledgement of party loyalty or obligation in the Senate, except for party appointed members, would be enough to require the immediate vacating of such a Senate seat and new elections for the position.
Another argument against this approach will be that, regardless of what is the ideal situation, every citizen has the right to prefer one political party over another, whether or not he/she is a member or public supporter of that party. No problem. The people will decide at the elections, and that is why our education campaign is so important, if they can trust an individual, when he takes the oath of office, to not allow any political party to direct his decisions when voting in the Senate. No system is perfect, because we are all human, and we fully expect to be influenced by others at times. But if our objective is clear, and the guidelines drawn, then this new approach to the elected Senate should help us to get the kind of “watchdogs” we need, who will “watch out” for the Belizean people first, and not for one political party/interest or the other.