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Party Paramountcy Vs PEOPLE Power…and the Winner is…

Submitted by the Mahogany Coconut Group Throughout the Caribbean there have been calls for good governance. Unfortunately we continue to look to the political management class for the answer. We are afraid that seldom do the perpetrators of any wrongdoing seek to effect change to curb their transgressions. […] While we wait for the introduction…

Submitted by the Mahogany Coconut Group

stand_up!Throughout the Caribbean there have been calls for good governance. Unfortunately we continue to look to the political management class for the answer. We are afraid that seldom do the perpetrators of any wrongdoing seek to effect change to curb their transgressions.

[…]

While we wait for the introduction of integrity legislation and other instruments, to deter improper behavior on the part of the political management class, we sink further into the cesspool that we are trying to escape.

We firmly believe that the real engines for proper governance must be those who are governed. In other words, the citizens are the best weapon against corruption and graft. They are also the best engines for social and economic change and must be in the forefront demanding change. However, we often find that while the citizens criticize the political class and are vehement that it changes its ways, the citizens themselves are also part and parcel of the same political class. We find that in many instances, they are more defending their political parties than having any real interest in the country itself.

Once this loyalty to their political parties continues to take precedence over the common or national good, the cries for good governance remain unheard. Hence throughout the region political parties are fully aware that elections every five years or so are the tools that are used to blow off steam and allow the citizens to change parties and governments, knowing full well that the replacements are the same with only change of faces.

Party paramountcy, promoted by the political class and encouraged by the citizens therefore essentially guarantees that poor governance will remain the norm. Of course from time to time there will be tinkering with the system to make it better but this tinkering is seldom enough to create any significant change.

Party allegiance and the financiers of parties will continue to get their way unless the citizens abandon blind party loyalty and put their countries first. We note that in most cases opposition parties on assuming office seldom remove bad precedents that were set by the governments they replace. They can do so because they know that the citizens will join them in the nefarious blame game while the status quo remains intact.

While we often accuse the political class of failing to look after our best interests; we continue to ignore the simple truth that we are supposed to be the guardians of our fate. In many instances we renege on our civic duty thereby giving the political class a free pass!

31 responses to “Party Paramountcy Vs PEOPLE Power…and the Winner is…”

  1. pieceuhderockyeahright Avatar
    pieceuhderockyeahright

    I must admit MCG that, because all of what you said is so glaringly and frightfully true, I read it 3 times.

    Each successive point was a point that “deepened” the context and content and put de ole man in a state of stasis, poleaxed by the gravity of truth.

    The reasoning was infallible and the issues so unassailable that, because it resonates with me so deeply since it is something that we, as a cuntry, and a region, CANNOt seem to shake, all I was left to do was to run to a place where the ole man tex to reading and tief a quotation.

    The following remark is as much a circuitous question from me, as it is a remark for your response, IF YOU CHOOSE TO RESPOND, cause I notice that wunna so does write excellent post but unlike a dog, wunna dont return to your vomit”

    So here is that quote

    “Why has the oppressed proletariat not come to its senses and joined you in your fight for world liberation? … [Because] they know that your antiquated styles of protest – your marches, hand held signs, and gatherings – are now powerless to effect real change because they have become such a predictable part of the status quo.

    They know that your post-Marxist jargon is off-putting because it really is a language of mere academic dispute, not a weapon capable of undermining systems of control…”

    — Nadia C., a respondent on Rethinking CrimeThinc in commenting on “Your Politics Are Boring as Fuck”

    Is your posting not much in this vein MCG “an antiquated style of protest? a monologue of spartan excellence? a cyberspace march? a word-smithed protest? one around which a few wannabe intellects, that your humble servant can never be, congregate to make predictible responses? entrenched as we are so deeply in this do-do?

    You know, each day, the solution points in one of two directions.

    Zoe’s Rapture or the other thing which I fear so much… BUT which seems to be our only choice…

  2. Dompey Avatar
    Dompey

    You may see it from an angle of political loyalty, but I engage this issue from the culture of greed and self-interest which have been the undoing of the politician who started out with good intentions and ended up caught in the web of decide between the collective-interest over the self-interest. And I would argue convincingly that it has been this way since that days of Grantley Adams to the present class of politcal leaders.

    It is any secret that we can recall time and time again some of the people whom in their bid for political office promise their constituents chance and got down to the epicenter of power and were consumed by the evil forces of corruption which produces greed motivated by the self-interest.

    And these were once men of high moral, ethical and intellectual standing in their respective community. So the question then become: how do we address this destructive trend which seeks to destroy the proper balance of society- given the progressive moral decline that we have been witnessing in recent times?

  3. MCG Avatar
    MCG

    @pieceuhderockyeahright
    MCG is not post Marxist, a group of academics or anything of the sort. We merely suggest that the peoples of the region are polarised by party politics and they for the most part are more interested in the survival of their political party than the society. The common good becomes secondary as the game of musical chairs continues.

  4. David Avatar
    David

    The question championed by Mr . anti-American for years, how do change agents penetrate the membership of the political class for the greater good. How do we create and enforce a governance system finely calibrated to root out and maintain corruption to a minimum. How do we create a framework to encourage innovative creativity and non conformist thinking.

    There is more.

  5. pieceuhderockyeahright Avatar
    pieceuhderockyeahright

    @ MCG

    I understood quite clearly what you said and not to practice “verbal echolalia” repeat the same thing that the Blogmaster said and ask you again “how do you, post writing that eloquent dissertation, propose that the status quo be changed?”

  6. MCG Avatar
    MCG

    @ pieceuhderockyeahright; David
    The MCG proposes the following:
    1. Making the Senate an elected body
    2. Senate terms will last seven years
    3. All citizens will automatically qualified to contest 22 senate seats
    4. The state will provide $ 5000 for each candidate for campaigning purposes
    5. Elected senators will be paid a stipend $150 per month
    6. The senate will meet once a month
    7. The Senate head will be elected by the senate citizens themselves
    8. The senate will become the official watchdog of public policy
    9. No legislation will be passed unless the senate gives a two third majority
    10. Citizens will have the right to recall any senator by petition of 10000 signatures verified by the Electoral Boundary Commission
    11. The senate body will be monitored by the department of public policy and established witimn the public service commission

    We believe the above will be the first step in bringing the peoples voice to the forefront and thereby controlling and or influencing public policy.

  7. dompey Avatar
    dompey

    MCG

    I have been in this country a litte over three decades now, and for as long as I have been here I have never once heard of any candidate vying for political office propposing to change the system of governance in anyway shape or form dispite the pervasive self-interest, which envelops Washington. It is the culture in Washington their always proposed to change and not the system of governance which is continually and incessantly reinforced by a sustainable transparency.

    The problem with politicians today in my individual judgment, is the fact that their are too much focus on what’s best to get elected and reelected rather what is best for the country.

    MCG, in what way would was revamping the system of governance alter the current political climate if those elect to represent our interest are bent on doing the wrong thing? Even with a political system as fortified as the American Republican system of governance, we still read and about and watch politicians still charged and convicted for acts of political corruption.

  8. MCG Avatar
    MCG

    @ dompey,

    Our response was to answer how we believe the system could be changed. MCG has long been promoting a change of the system. We realise that nothing is perfect.

  9. SuckaBubby Avatar
    SuckaBubby

    The best way is for political parties to be dismantled by implosion.That will be achieved when the rank and file members realise they have gained absolutely nothing by membership or have nothing to lose by sitting on the periphery after walking away.The problem is that they are not sufficiently convinced to do so.They keep sticking around hoping it gets better or led to believe by fear mongering that we will end up a barbaric Islamic , Communist or Socialist state.Yet we claim to be a democracy and parliament clearly does not represent the interest of the Barbadian rank and file citizen.Political parties in Barbados need to go down on their bellies and lick dust!

  10. ac Avatar
    ac

    still thinking about that 150 dollars a month,

  11. MCG Avatar
    MCG

    In February 2013, the MCG offered some policy positions . Since then we have modified them as they appear in this current article. We thought it necessary to submit our previous position on the reform of the senate, as was submitted in 2013. We continue to research and review several positions on how to make our democracy more inclusive:
    ‘Governance
    We call for senators to be elected every two years and with term limits of six years or three terms. Candidates should be nominated by any civic group or organization registered by the state. Independent candidates will not be allowed. No more than one candidate should be nominated by each civic group. In cases where there is no clear winner, run-offs should be used to determine winners. The newly constituted senate will have the right to vote on all government bills. Defeat in the senate will send the bill back to the House of Assembly for further consideration. A bill can only be defeated by a clear two third majority in the new senate. The senate should comprise of no more than twenty four persons and the stipend paid should be no more than that necessary to cover travel to and from the senate. Senatorial campaigns should not exceed ten thousand dollars and the monitoring of such will be executed by an independent Senatorial Overview Committee whose members will not be paid but selected by the Government Opposition and Governor General.

  12. The People's Democratic Congress Avatar
    The People’s Democratic Congress

    These two intellectually and politically backward, bankrupt and descredited DLP and BLP factions must be ABSOLUTELY TOTALLY RUTHLESSLY removed by the broad masses and middle classes of people of Barbados from the political governmental landscape of the country.

    These filthy factions have over the years been bringing myriad shame and disgrace to the name of this country.

    PDC

  13. The People's Democratic Congress Avatar
    The People’s Democratic Congress

    There is absolutely no need for a Senate Chamber – elected or nominated – in Barbados.

    The PDC has never and will never come across any good reason for providing for a Senate in the political and legislative affairs of this country.

    The Senate of the Parliament of the government of Barbados must be totally Abolished!!

    What a certain future coalitional government of Barbados – and of which the PDC will be part – shall do is to make sure that sovereignty of Barbados is absolutely placed in the “hands” of the people of this country, and not remain in the hands of a few government officials in Barbados, and in the hands of judges of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

    Such will be exemplified by this coalitional government’s leading the way in the creation of a number of Constituency Assemblies in Barbados – one each per constituency – and each of which will comprise 200 elected citizens of Barbados.

    These Constituency Assemblies – in the carrying out of their very detailed constitutional and legislative and political functions – shall essentially make up the Legislature of Barbados.

    Each member or a group of members of each Constituency Assembly will have the right to initiate legislation for, et al, the good governance of this country, and – in the case of such proposed legislation being ordinary legislation – a simple majority of these Assemblies will – upon publishing public notices of their fulfilling their bounden obligations to accept such bills, and upon their later having formed appropriate and respective meetings for purposes of debating and examining the bills – determine in the final analysis whether such bills would become the law of the government of the people of this country – to be assented to by the Chief Legislator of the Legislature itself; and – in the case of such proposed legislation being of fundamental constitutional national security importance, a 2/3 majority of these Assemblies will – upon the publishing public notices of their fulfilling their bounden obligations to accept such bills – and upon their later having formed appropriate and respective meetings for purposes of debating and examining such bills – determine in the final analysis whether such bills will become the law of the government of the people of this country – to be assented to by the Chief Legislator of the Legislature itself.

    PDC

  14. MCG Avatar
    MCG

    @ The Peoples Democratic Congress
    How does the PDC intend to dispose of Parliament? How will the PDC manage 6000 policy makers (30 constituenciesx200 elected members each)? Where will they meet? How will their legislative administration be handled?

  15. The People's Democratic Congress Avatar
    The People’s Democratic Congress

    @ The Peoples Democratic Congress
    How does the PDC intend to dispose of Parliament? How will the PDC manage 6000 policy makers (30 constituenciesx200 elected members each)? Where will they meet? How will their legislative administration be handled?

    A new constitution for the management of the political and governmental affairs of Barbados will be promulgated by the coalition.

    By creating these Constituency Assemblies this will be another step in the process of the creation of a Republic for Barbados.

    These Constituency Assemblies will constitute the sovereign bodies of Barbados.

    Neither the Monarch of the United Kingdom, nor the Parliament of Barbados, nor the judges of the CCJ, will exercise sovereignty power over this country and its people. Only these Constituency Assemblies will do so, and the new Constitution will set out this circumstance. By various and consistent political, legal, educational and other series of acts the Parliament of Barbados will be superceded by these Constituency Assemblies will collectively become the Legislature of people of Barbados.

    The House of Assembly will also be replaced by these Assemblies.

    In the strictest of senses these Assembly persons will not be policy makers.

    In the strictest of senses the Cabinet of the government of Barbados – though reconfigured into a nationally Elected Executive Coalitional Cabinet – will still remain the principal instrument of policy of the government.

    The members of these Assemblies will meet in newly constructed buildings that will be strategically located in each constituency and designed and suited for purposes of proceeding with such sittings and sessions, physically, technologically, etc.

    The Legislature will have particular committees to manage the Legislature, with each being made up of the Constituency Assembly that is identified and chosen by the other Constituency Assemblies to be that committee (Assembly) to help run the affairs of the Legislature and by extension the business of the government and people that the Legislature is to manage entirely.

    In each Assembly, there will be committees established to run the affairs of the Assembly.

  16. William Skinner Avatar
    William Skinner

    @The Peoples Democratic Congree

  17. William Skinner Avatar
    William Skinner

    @ The Peoples Democratic Congress, Sorry my post above was incomplete. I find your suggestions very progressive in many ways. We need more ideas coming forward to better our country.

  18. The People's Democratic Congress Avatar
    The People’s Democratic Congress

    William Skinner,

    We entirely appreciate your comments.

    PDC

  19. dompey Avatar
    dompey

    I don’t see the logic in overhauling an entire system of governance, when the sustainable transparent checks and balances would address improprieties and irregularities in the system. Isn’t that what we are aim for here?

  20. dompey Avatar
    dompey

    For any system of governance to be effective it needs to be continually reinforced with the effective checks and balances because history has shown us how the inventive ingenuity of man has undermined this political process from time to time.

  21. William Skinner Avatar
    William Skinner

    @dompey,
    The question is how to bring about more participatory democracy so that the citizens will have more say in their governance. How can we get better results from a system we all admit is broken? These suggestions/discussions are important if we are going to effect change. You must know that we inherited a system and branded it a democracy. As Maurice Bishop once said five minute every five years in a polling booth is not true democracy. If the system is broken it must be fixed.

  22. Dompey Avatar
    Dompey

    William Skinner

    What Maurice Bishop said regarding democray is of little or no value to anyone, had he not done something about it.

    Sir Winston Churchill also said that: ” Democracy is the worse form of government except all the others that have been tried.”

  23. Dompey Avatar
    Dompey

    William Skinner

    I have pensively contemplated this issue earlier and even though I do have a command of the facts regarding the system of governance in Barbados and its historicity.

    My individual judgment leads me to concluded that I am not to sure our system of governance is in want of revamping because if it functioned relatively well in Barrow’s as it did in Adams era to some extent, then obviously, we are dealing with a progressive moral- decline in the social and
    political affairs.

    Now, am I not asking for an ecclesiastical system of governance in Barbados? Because I am certainly not that religious, but we as an electorate have to be more conscientious regarding those persons we elect to represent our interest in the sphere of political power, and stop taking for granted that when we send them off to do our bidding in the epicenter of power that their are going to do the right thing by the people.

    Yes, it seems as though we have a moral crisis on or hand and it is making itself felt in the home, school, temple, mosque and church these days.

    Folks we have on our hands a universal breakdown in morals in the human affairs and it is making itself felt in every aspect of the human life.

    So we ought to stop focusing on symptoms which given rise to our current state of affairs, and start focusing more fundamentally on the true etiologies which underlies our social, political economical, and moral vicissitudes.

    Now in conclusion: given what we know of politics today and those persons who are charged with the responsibility of represent our interest, it is incumbent upon us to make certain that when we elect those persons to represent our interest in the sphere of power that their qualified on the moral and academic level, but this would call for a meticulous inquiry in to their background. And even then that is no real assurance that their will do the right thing, but it surely beats the alternative.

  24. Dompey Avatar
    Dompey

    William Skinner

    Our current system governance delivered the goods in the past, so there isn’t any real need of a complete overhauling of the system.

    What we need to do is to elect the kind of people who will honour their promises to the masses.The kind of people who would not allow their passions and desires to be dictated by the lure of the self-interest over the collective-interest of the people.

    Nevertheless, it is an idealist dream in my estimation, to believe that by adjusting certain aspects of the system of governance that is will bring about effective and positive change, without considering man’s inventive-ingenuity and his potential to undermine the system.

  25. Dompey Avatar
    Dompey

    William Skinner

    Our current system governance delivered the goods in the past, so there isn’t any real need of a complete overhauling of the system in my judgment.

    If it isn’t broken done fixed, but quickly dispose of those persons who seek to enrich
    themselves by corrupting the system!

    What we need to do is to elect the kind of people who will honour their promises to the masses.The kind of people who would not allow their passions and desires to be dictated by the lure of the self-interest over the collective-interest of the people.

    Nevertheless, it is an idealist dream in my estimation, to believe that by adjusting certain aspects of the system of governance that is will bring about a more effective and positive change, without first considering man’s inventive-ingenuity and his potentiality to undermine the system.

  26. William Skinner Avatar
    William Skinner

    @ Dompey
    In effect you are defending the same status quo that you admitted is not delivering the participatory democracy needed to improve the democratic process. The mere fact that you have admitted that we are not attracting the type of representatives we need defeats your position that there is no need to reform the system.

  27. Dompey Avatar
    Dompey

    William Skinner

    My argument is and has always been that there isn’t any possibly way of insulating our system governance from the wrongdoing motivated by self-interest and greed.

    And whether we seek to insulate it with the correct sort of checks and balances, or revamp it all together to ensure its integrity, history is our testimony that man will and has found unique and inventive methods to undermine it as he has being doing for centuries.

    But that doesn’t go without saying that there are those unique group of individuals out there who are willing and bent on honouring their promises made to the people.

    Now in conclusion: I could point out a number of well respected senators and representatives who have served the people honorably and for well over three decades or more, and the character of these individuals is what we ought to seek or sought meticulously and conscientiously when embark on the quest for a candidate to represent or interest and concerns. The former senator from Connecticut Christopher Dodd and Arizona senator John McCain are two such individuals I could say without much equivocation and ambiguity have served the people honorably.

  28. David Avatar
    David

    Dompey

    You last comment is the perfect definition of what non sequitur means.

  29. pieceuhderockyeahright Avatar
    pieceuhderockyeahright

    Who is dis Cristopher fellow up at Dodds? And this other fellow with your first name Johnnie?

    Is we supposed to know dem?

    He from Arizona too? Probably a returning criminal.

    I wonder if he know AC husband dat did had to get way from wunna know who **!!!

    Asinus Domesticus

    Do you know Jejomar “Jojo” Binay or Renato Corona? While these men are known in their land in the Phillipines as movers and shakers they are non players in Barbados and it is disturbing and bordering on repeatedly insulting that you, or anyone else, comes on a bajan blog EVERY PHREAKING DAY, INCLUDING SUNDAYS, to drop the names of people whom we neither know nor care about

    YOU rant and rave about the laws and misguided same sex marriages of Babylon the Great and to recite the national anthem of a cuntry whose legacy is entrenched in the Klu Klux Klan and work place murders every month like clockwork

    You want everyone to know that after Albert Sealy had was to beat your ingrunt donkey in 1973 post your peeping Tom days at Station Hill police station that, notwithstanding that incident at*** you get to America and is now a citizen

    We get it ok? We understand and commiserate with your dyslexia we also understand the arson incident, and though some might not understand why your neighbor pulled your donkey from the fire, what we don’t understand is the constant litany bout Murica

    Give it a break nuh!!

  30. Dompey Avatar
    Dompey

    @Piece

    Piece writes: “Who is this other name Dodd is we supposed to know him?”

    Perhaps you have forgotten, but we are now living in the year 2015 with such things as Cable, CNN, BBC, CNBC and social media etc? lol

    Come on now Piece, you ought to inform your understanding of world -affairs brother, and step outside of the enclaves and ambience of the Caribbean environment which seem to retarded and confined your worldview.

  31. Dompey Avatar
    Dompey

    Piece

    I can see that there is no real limit to your ignorance and childish sentiments, but I can’t imagine you being this childish at 90 plus at all. Listen! You ought to know by now that nothing your or Bush Tea writes can move me emotionally because I am firmly cemented in who I am as a man brother.

The blogmaster invites you to join the discussion.

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