Submitted by Douglas Leopold Phillips
“Dr. Walcott had the … audience cheering lustily and shouting approval when he called on all BLP members to by their words and actions show total loyalty to the party and be fully focused on defeating the DLP. He then got his loudest roar of support when he demanded that BLP Members of Parliament Group maintain unquestionable loyalty to the party, stressing that one of the reasons he was seeking office as Chairman was to give 100 per cent assistance and support to Political Leader Owen Arthur…” [BLP_news@blp.org.bb August 30th 2011]
The Incoming Chairman. This seems like the perfect title for a novel with immense literary potential. A novel that seeks to capture the constant churning and turmoil of a group of people destined to destroy each other. The main theme of the novel speaks to a tragedy of epic proportions. It’s a combination of greed and betrayal wrapped in the pretence of loyalty. We see a struggle taking place between the rival factions with a community of persons who once spoke to the text of unity and camaraderie, good governance and fair play. In this novel, we witness a fresh guard, in the person of a loyalist called Jerome. Jerome has a passion to serve and would do anything to ensure that his community is healed. His desire is so strong that he has opted to carry the fight to the other faction within the community. His desire and passion was wrapped in a virtue called loyalty. How did the old boss get Jerome to carry his political fire rage or is Jerome actually carrying his own rage? Questions of this nature can be explored in the novel.
In recent times, the small political class, within the community has spoken, and sought to dismiss any notion of a return to power by Mia. Now, Mia is seen as the other leader within the community. She possesses a fire in the belly to see the community grow. This desire is demonstrated in her constancy of getting up on each occasion she has been knocked down. One has lost count of the times she has been floored by her former boss now her political antithesis.
This tragedy that has befallen the community has spurred an intense amount of infighting within the Councils of the community. The race to influence the selection of the full slate of community leaders in the 30 designated constituencies has taken a new twist. Persons who courted areas for well over five years are publicly been told that their services and efforts may be over looked for brighter sparks. This in itself is an entire dynamic, especially, when the persons at the centre are flying in the face of domestic opposition. We cannot close our eyes to the potential intrigue that the novel has the potential to generate.
How can two persons, in such a small space, be always at each other’s neck? This constant political machination is the root of the intrigue. We thought with hugging, kissing and making up that some tempers would have cooled. It is clear that instead of cooling they are now at a very tense level. The scenarios for the ending of this novel are extremely gripping. Let’s assume, Jerome wins and further entrenches his old boss as the political architect of a new hopeful attempt of regaining unity in the community. What would become of Mia? Is this the end of her political ambitions? Will the old political boss succeed in delivering the final political blow without even participating in the bout? If Mia wins, will she seek to garner the support of the rank and file? Will she seek to advance the necessary constitutional changes to ensure members of the community have a bigger say in what the political class has authority over? Or will Mia finally end this sordid love affair that has come to characterise the community to the point of total fracture.
The Novel ..In coming Chairman is due for consideration in October 2011. The discussion on publication will take place somewhere in Roebuck Street. We patiently wait.
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