New politics: Is it more than jargon? Published: Saturday, January 24, 2015 In 2010, the thrust of the election campaign against the incumbent government was “new politics.” Espoused and promoted by the COP, it successfully burnished the image of the People’s Partnership, effectively masking any discernible flaws in the major partner. Popular disaffection with the outgoing regime made the task easier. COP and its leader provided redemptive appeal and assurance, while the presumed Prime Minister exuded charm and charisma. The rest is history! Today, as preparations for election 2015 gather momentum and the image-makers and spin doctors busily weave their craft, citizens must be on full alert. They should be continually appraising the options and evaluating their own unquestioning responses to catchy, creative electioneering slogans. For instance, what is it about “new politics” that was so captivating? The term may not even have been fully understood. But such was, and still is the yearning for something uplifting in T&T politics that individuals arguably attributed their own exalted meaning to an idea, largely undefined, to inform their decision at the polls. “New politics” originated with Gordon Brown as the theme used to launch his 2010 re-election campaign. He argued that the significant challenges confronting the country could not be truly mastered “… unless the legitimacy of our democracy is fully restored.” This required rebuilding faith in public life. He therefore sought “a mandate to get rid of the old discredited system of politics, and replace it with a new system that ensures people who hold positions of authority are more accountable to and truly representative of the ordinary men and women…” His far-reaching proposals included: banning MPs from working for lobbying companies; causing MPs seeking paid outside employment to obtain prior approval of an independent body to avoid potential conflict with their public responsibilities; ensuring that MPs are permanently accountable to the people, by instituting the right to their recall in grave situations where financial impropriety has been proven, but where parliament itself has failed to act; reinforcing MPs accountability by ensuring they were the choice of an absolute majority of constituents, thus possessing a clear and strong mandate. He asserted that “… a new politics does not simply mean constraining the behaviour of individual MPs—it also means strengthening the power of Parliament to hold the executive to account.” He therefore pledged “… a new right to petition the House of Commons to trigger debates on issues of significant public concern… and … changes to give a stronger voice to backbenchers, so in the next Parliament, select committees and their chairs will be elected by a secret ballot of MPs.” Parliament will thus be better placed to serve the people, he surmised. Many aspects of this “new progressive politics” resonate here, confirmed by an undeniably despairing cry for change in the conduct of our political affairs. However, such transformation is meaningless without citizen participation and unless consensus emerges from a process of popular support and comprehensive civil society engagement. It ought not to be imposed by majoritarian rule; and definitely, not near the end of a parliamentary term. Otherwise we’re being served “… new wine in very old bottles.” T&T desperately needs electoral reform, but it’s disingenuous “… to use it as an excuse for party political scheming.” Winston R Rudder, Petit Valley. Letters Source:: Trinidad Guardian The post New politics: Is it more than jargon? appeared first on Trinidad & Tobago Online. #trinidad
Posted on: Sat, 24 Jan 2015 06:04:53 +0000
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