Comments on the Election results
UNC 18 - PNM 18: Election dead-heat
December 12, 2001
By A. H. Hotep
These 'Political spin-doctors' could interpret the Election results anyhow they want but the results clearly show that the majority of Africans and Indians in Trinidad suffer from racial insecurity. Racial voting has its limits.
That does not make many of those who do not identify with any of the two major ethnic groups any better because they identify with economics, strictly dollar$ and cents. Some of them benefit from one regime and those that felt left out will align with the other political party to reap economic benefits when they get in power. This is the most corrupt group of all because people from within this group finance Election campaigns and they reap most of the economic benefits through bribery and other illegal practices. Media owners and managers who stifle the views of ordinary people are all part of this group. It is this semi-literate middle class and upper elite group that hold key positions in the country and refuses to allow proper cultural programs in schools and the media. Though this group is dominated by the wealth of a minority White clique, it is filled with people of all races who wish to be identified as elites/Whites. So we are plagued with a minority voting on greed/White identification and a majority voting on African and Indian racial insecurities. This is the general picture with a few undecided. The ordinary people are always left fighting for the crumbs.
The support for UNC/Panday in spite of the widespread reports of corruption and countless other ills show that his supporters' distrust of the African based PNM was not because of past corruptions as they usually claim but their own racial fears that has been nurtured within their closed community.
Although the core PNM supporters are also guilty of racial voting, they have very good reasons this time around to be distrustful of the UNC government. The UNC having made much about corruption under the previous composition of the PNM have turned out to be worst than any other government in the history of this country. They have also been the worst at wasting public funds and trampling on the rights of people apart from having a minister on murder charges for killing a fellow UNC councillor and countless other improprieties.
The UNC leader, Basdeo Panday, also appeals to the base emotions of people by constantly addressing comments to "my people" (code for Indians) when speaking from within his tribal base.
Basdeo Panday was once the main opponent of the business elites whom he labeled the "parasitic oligarchy" but he hurriedly embraced them once he attained leadership of the country. He previously spoke of the alienation of the Indian community but has done nothing to further the development of anyone including Indians. Indians in Trinidad are supposed to be contented with Basdeo Panday as the leader solely on the basis of him being an Indian and being the first Indian Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago. The charm of this is far stronger than all the other members of the party put together, reports on corruption and his misconduct in office. Their tribal insecurities keep most going along with this.
NAR and Team Unity, the two political parties that were trying to play the game of political spoilers, were aware of the close race between the two main political parties and they wanted their poorly supported parties to be the power brokers in the politics of the country without being able to command widespread support.
The main players in these two parties were never interested in addressing the deep-seated fears of the majority and they have demonstrated this time and time again with their rejection of discussions on the issues of race and nationality. Once African issues are mentioned they all shy away even though they are a bit more accommodating of the Indian 'cultural' view because this has been in the public domain for a while. They are all wooing the Indian community that clearly identifies Indian. These hypocrites are yet to discover that there are Africans with a rich history and cultural heritage that could inform decisions on the development of this country. It is only fitting that these two groups be extricated from the political main stage thus allowing the focus to remain on the fears of the majority and not another illusion of they being in the game to foster national unity. Focusing on and addressing these fears is the beginning of going forward.
There is no strong appeal from people in general and especially Africans, for these dishonest politicians to stop blocking efforts to increase awareness. Most Africans in Trinidad and Tobago, having been divorced from history and Christianized through colonialism are unaware of the cultural disrespect shown not only to them but also to the wider community.
The politicians in this country are afraid of examining the different cultural perspectives to find out what keeps the majority distrustful of each other and as such willing to tolerate abuses from their tribal party. They fear being accused of fanning the flames of racism so they speak of tolerating our differences but they have no understanding of these differences. So one group could literally be using the disguise of culture and religion together with their clever selective use of a different language to call for the extermination of another group and these politicians are none the wiser.
In the face of several Indian radio stations and with the state media comfortably hosting Indian programs, these brazen misleaders, aided and abetted by an ignorant middle class and business elite, refused to yield to the request to allow African programs on the state media. In spite of all their rhetoric about national unity, this one issue clearly showed their true intent.
Over the years we have publicly appealed for the state media to allow the different cultural points of view adequate exposure so that discussions could take place to correct misunderstandings, which are deeply rooted. The two major political parties for the aforementioned reasons rejected our appeals.
At present none of the radio and Television stations allow the African historical view adequate exposure even though we have repeatedly explained the need for this to correct the negative perceptions that most people have of Africans and by extension themselves. The politicians and media managers with whom we had discussions all agreed that this is necessary. They are yet to move past offering verbal sympathies while making dishonest excuses for not entertaining the programs.
The media in Trinidad and Tobago carries Indian programs and are still saturated with European-American programs including these European created African comedy programs that are the worst form of tokenism to a people who were violently uprooted from a history and natural evolution. The myths borne out of Slavery and Indentured servitude are deeply rooted and must be addressed if this country is to move forward.
This country is at a stalemate with the major political parties holding on to tribal support which by all evidence is stronger that the reality of murder, theft and incompetence in public office.
Make no mistake about it, the two major ethnic groups are quite aware of the inadequacies of the political parties. They would speak about this among themselves, but they remain woefully supportive of them because of fears/ignorance/miseducation about themselves and people who are different to them.
All political parties speak of national unity without offering any evidence of how this can be attained as if by their very presence in leadership, the country would be miraculously transformed into a utopian state.
The country is at the crossroads as the issues are clear and unless one or both sides of the political divide are willing to engage these cultural discussions they are going to continue leading the people into deeper levels of desperation and depression for which the courts, prisons and hospitals remain their primary institutions.
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