Further, it is abundantly clear that the Political Leader of the UNC enjoys even greater support than the party.
This is due in large measure to the fact that she challenged and defeated Panday and Ramesh and then within four months won the general elections. In addition, her popularity is also due to the manner in which she has kept the partnership together, despite rumblings from the partners from time to time.
When people voted for the Partnership in 2010, they did so clearly with the expectation that they will not be betrayed and that every effort and sacrifice will be made by the leaders and Members of Parliament to ensure that the experience of 1986 did not happen again.
As such, from now to elections in 2015, the people will deal harshly with any member of Parliament or any one of the constituent organizations in the Partnership who attempts to divide the partnership or affect the unity of the government.
In this sense Mrs Bissessar enjoys very wide public support despite the pockets of disenchantment which currently exists, and which in reality is a function of very high expectations.
It almost seems an anomaly that supporters are prepared to support the partnership even as they complain about delivery and change. This makes the Partnership supporters a very empowered group, since that can also choose at any time to switch allegiance if they can find a competitive alternative party.
Incidentally, it is clear that they do not see this alternative in the PNM. In any event the experience they have had with the PNM sets their minds apart from even thinking of the PNM as an alternative.
The leaders of the partnership, particularly the COP and the MSJ will do well to remember that as far as the population is concerned “Kamla” represents their hopes and aspirations and that they are willing to go the distance with her.
The reasons are many but it includes the feeling that they have that “Kamla” is a caring and compassionate leader as well as one who identifies with their pains, cries with them and laughs with them.
As much as it might be maligned, her toy distribution project at XMAS gives her an affinity to the people that no other leader has had. She is a Prime Minister who has touched more hands than any other PM of TT.
Apart from these attributes her popularity continues to thrive due to projects such as the Children’s Life Fund, the provision of cheques to mosques, temples and churches at Eid, Divali and XMAS as well as the hosting of functions at the Diplomatic Center to celebrate all festivals, including the Chinese New Year.
This has caused the people to see her as one who transcends race and religion and strives for equality , fairness and social equity. In reality she has been able to close the gap between what she promises and what she lives. This has also helped to symbolize her leadership as one with integrity.
Finally, it is obvious that she operates from a platform of trust in that she has been sharing the leadership of the Government and has been using consensus for decision making. While this has seemingly slowed the pace of government, it has also brought about deeper conversations between the parties about governance which will always be for the benefit of the country.
At the last celebrations at Rienzi she made an important point, which is that no government has been put under scrutiny as this one and that the moral expectations and standards of performance for this government is the highest for any government ever.
The people are fully aware of these standards they have set and the moral demands they are making. They are doing so because that want success in all dimensions for the party they put into office and transparency in all that it does.
In pressing for and getting these, they feel part of the governance process and are prepared to defend and protect the Partnership. This is why Rienzi was overflowing on January 24th.
Arjun M. Persad | Lengua Road, Barrackpore.
No comments:
Post a Comment