Understanding Camelot... (Saving T&T)

Historical Scholar and Former leader of the Canadian Liberal Party Michael Ignatieff described how the divided political culture creates a 'crisis of representation' and how 'partisanship' is tearing politics apart, turning adversaries into enemies. He said (and I quote) “Partisanship, long a fundamental of politics, has veered from its original purpose and (now) created parties that no longer represent the 'real choices' that voters face. The emphasis on division rather than agreement is alienating voters. For most voters, partisanship is what is wrong with politics.”
What can I add to that? The circus atmosphere of our Parliament, the childish, often churlish behavior of many who see themselves more as gladiators rather than constituency representatives about the people's business underscores the above precisely; how many times have I asked why is it that turn after turn in the House is wasted in deflecting insults and launching new barbs instead of bringing to light the issues affecting the day to day lives of the citizens? To add emphasis to the point, I recently had to ask during an interview on a morning show how is it possible for the Member of Parliament for Chaguanas East to refer in the Parliament to the Member for Diego Martin North East as 'his' MP and the people of his constituency not erupt in outcry? Shouldn't the representative of the people be mandated to at least live in the constituency they represent, if for no other reason than to know the problems first hand?

If the system is failing then surely it starts and ends in the Parliament and it is to here we must turn for solutions. Citing America's fourth president James Madison, who warned of the danger to democracy from political parties serving their own interests rather than the people's, Ignatieff told the audience that a “healthy distrust of politicians” has deteriorated into “active loathing.” This one thing he credits for the disengaged citizenry, the political disillusionment so clearly at work in our politics, that has divided the nation into tribal camps for the sole purpose of electing party machines to high office. Calling politics a “morally questionable profession,” he defined real leadership as “deciding in uncertainty and being willing to live with the consequences, however they played out.” Where is that evident in our experience? The most glaring of examples is the much touted 'party of integrity and morality' that turned out to be anything but, further disenchanting the electorate through brash and bold duplicity. Ignatieff went on - “Compounding the lack of voter trust is the outright animosity between parties.” He compared today's economic climate to that of Germany in the 20's - “A society plagued by crisis among a battered population looking for someone to blame.” As hard as it is to believe that he was not writing specifically about Trinidad & Tobago, much of this is what I have referred to in the past as the politics of politics, and I now understand a little better why we have ended up with the type of leaders we have had for much of the past fifty years.

Clearly the problem lies with us, the electorate, with the choices we make and in what we give our support to. History has taught us that people learn from the leaders they follow, but in our context any solution has to start with an understanding that real leadership is more about taking people where they need to be rather than where they think they want to be; it lies with a class of leader we in this country have never experienced before. I put to you that we the people need to mould ourselves to be the leaders we want, we need to come up higher, make better choices, demand more of ourselves and those we elect to office. Framed in the context of politician as servant, it is time we start asking of those who aspire to high office to pose the debate in the context of vision for a better Trinidad & Tobago and all of its people, of what are we prepared to do for this nation. Country before party is where change must begin.