Why De Lima... (How We Vote is not how We Party...)

It is my sincere belief that the Congress of the People is essential to to political development of our country and that these coming internal elections will determine if there is a COP in the near future. The Party is essential to our future development as it provides safe haven for the growing 'none of the above' voters as well as those who consider themselves neither fish nor fowl racially, and it would be a damnable shame to leave them adrift and politically homeless once more. The reality of the other two major Parties is the inescapable fact that they are divided by race, and no matter how we try to accept this as a function of our colonization it is still not good for our present and terribly foreboding for our future. The Congress of the People represents the New Politics of non racial voting, of all inclusivity for all our citizens and creates a space where tribalism could give way to issues that affect us all. 

That said, these coming internal elections may well determine if there is a COP in the future, such is the importance of where we go from here. It is my view that both Anil Roberts and Prakash Ramadhar are good guys and in other circumstances i would be front and center and comfortable in either one's support; but these elections are not simple circumstances and are way too important to risk taking chances that may not pan out, and I have to put my support where I believe it would do the most good for the Party and for the country as a whole.

If strong fences make good neighbors then strong partners ought to make for excellent coalitions. In that regard the Congress of the People needs to build up its strength and we need leadership that not only understands this, but has both the time and the vision to make it a reality. We need to be on the ground building our support constituency by constituency for the next four years in preparation for the next general elections. We need to be working on driving our membership, building offices and grooming candidates for representation at all levels if we are to make good on the Party's potential. To say this can be done part time is to be disingenuous to a fault and I believe that some of the pronouncements being made on the hustings are being made from a position of bravado more than anything else. One cannot take on such a massive responsibility while under the strain of a Cabinet Ministry as well as the responsibility for a constituency and expect to succeed at any, no matter who, how or what.

The membership as it exists today needs to enlarge their vision of what this Party can really be and support a leader capable of making that happen. Only then will the politics of this country truly change, and with it the fortunes of all of our people as a whole.

It is my view that Vernon De Lima is the right man for the job and I strongly suggest that we give him both a mandate and an opportunity to take the Congress of the People to national stature, strong and robust and ready for governance.