Guest commentary: A breath of fresh air and hope

by Dr Rampersad Parasram

In the present political climate with more than its fair share of bacchanal; accusations and counter accusations and political theatre, I was looking for something different; something inspirational.

Tonight, as I had dinner (after teaching a class of pundits and my thoughts on the loftier teachings of Hindusim), I caught the last part of PM Persad-Bissessar's televised speech in which she carefully outlined the dangers of vote splitting and called on all St Joseph voters to come home and prevent the PNM from coming through the back door. This was all good and necessary.

Then I realized the she was not the last speaker as she introduced Mr Ian Alleyne and his son. I tried to remember the last time a Political leader/Prime Minister agreed to speak before a candidate and could not recall any such instance. This appealed to me and sent a signal that here was an individual who was willing to do things differently. 

Then, when she interrupted the Chairman to introduce her special guest, the young son of Mr Ian Alleyne, I saw, not political theatre, but all sincerity.

Then came Mr Alleyne. I had had opportunity to follow some of his work, had liked his crime busting work but was not one to be carried away by the image; the 

"white" glasses and the "wetting after wetting" style. 

But tonight when he spoke of the boy and his grandmother and the plight of the poor waiting for taxi or a lift and waiting in line at a health facility; when he spoke of the gas pump attendant Alleyne, the boy who lived in a board house, the crime fighter whose family is under duress, I liked it all. This too was not theatre but if at all it could have been, it was good theatre and it touched me.

I am very tempted to say, congratulations Prime Minister and congratulations Mr Alleyne. I wish you well and I do hope the UNC wins in St Joseph.

It may well do good for all who claim to be part of the People’s Partnership to come home as the Prime Ministers has asked them to do. It may also be fitting and proper given the political realities of the moment to contact relatives and friends in St Joseph and ask them to support the UNC/Partnership. What happens in St Joseph has far reaching implications for the entire country.

The business of the future will naturally involve much hard work by the COP and the UNC working key constituencies, developing strategic alliances with individuals and groups and structured service delivery. 

It will require people centered development, transparency, marketing and counter strategies against the constant anti government propaganda that will more than likely intensify in the next eighteen months and the deliberate recruitment of strong credible men and women into leadership roles in the UNC/ Peoples Partnership.The pressing need of the hour is in fact St Joseph but I do hope that what I saw and heard tonight for the Prime Minister and Mr Alleyne is the beginning of something good that could endure.