{"id":19337,"date":"2010-10-08T22:32:27","date_gmt":"2010-10-09T02:32:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dominicanewsonline.com\/dno\/?p=19337"},"modified":"2010-10-08T22:53:35","modified_gmt":"2010-10-09T02:53:35","slug":"nice-guy-how-the-opposition-can-win-the-next-election","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dominicanewsonline.com\/news\/homepage\/columns\/nice-guy\/nice-guy-how-the-opposition-can-win-the-next-election\/","title":{"rendered":"NICE GUY: How the Opposition can win the next election"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
From left: UWP President Edison James; Opposition Leader Hector John; and UWP Party Leader Ron Green<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Opposition in any jurisdiction is as important to true democracy like water is important to our daily living. Without an Opposition, or at least an effective Opposition, a country will be ruled like a dictatorship and corruption will run rampant, and victimization and nepotism will rule absolutely.<\/p>\n

When a government has too much power, meaning a landslide victory at the polls (for example the DLP\u2019s 18-3 whipping of the UWP), the potential for corruption is higher.<\/p>\n

At the end of the day, the people have spoken. But why have they spoken so loudly? It is obvious that the Opposition is not doing something right.<\/p>\n

Where have they gone wrong and how can they make it right?<\/p>\n

It is not as easy as 1, 2, 3, but the recovery process will begin if the party members identify the many problems and try to rectifythem.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll start out by identifying a few glaring ones and possible solutions.<\/p>\n

Leadership<\/strong><\/p>\n

In my opinion, the United Workers Party (UWP) has no clear leadership or leadership strategy. Who is the REAL leader of the party? Who is the REAL spokesperson of the party?<\/p>\n

The UWP currently has three heads: former Prime Minister Edison James is the PRESIDENT; Ron Green is the PARTY LEADER and Hector John is the OPPOSITION LEADER.<\/p>\n

Based on my knowledge, the president or chairman of a party is normally the Opposition Leader. In some circumstances, the chairman may not be the opposition leader or an elected member, but in such cases he operates behind the scenes to ensure the party\u2019s machinery is working. After all, the Opposition Leader or the Prime Minister is basically seen as the \u201cboss\u201d of a party and the government, at least through public perception.<\/p>\n

In Dominica this is not the case. We see John, James and Green speaking on the same issues every day, either as party president, opposition leader and party leader. And not only are they speaking on similar issues all the time, they are also speaking like three Opposition Leaders.<\/p>\n

Recently, the BBC interviewed Green and identified him as party leader. At press conferences, James is very vocal, and now and then, John is called upon by the media to comment as Opposition Leader. It is quite confusing. Who is the leader of the UWP or the Opposition? Shouldn’t there be a clear distinction between party and the Opposition in parliament?<\/p>\n

That’s what differentiates the DLP from the UWP leadership. The DLP clearly has a leader – no question marks. With the UWP we do not know whose the boss, but we know who the “shadows are”.<\/p>\n

Just recently, it got worst: Senator Ezekiel Bazil released a statement on crime. This statement, I thought should have been collectively sent on behalf of the Opposition and read by the Opposition Leader. But give thanks, at least the party released an OFFICIAL statement on the upsurge of violent crime in Dominica.<\/p>\n

However, sorry to burst your bubble but it was a little too late. The Opposition released a statement following government releasing their statements, did radio interviews and held a press conference. So the UWP APPEARED as a follower in this case. From the first three murders in less than 24 hours, the Opposition should have taken the lead, or the government, but it is clear that both Opposition and Government FAILED in their response in terms of timeliness and substance. Until we see action, then it is just hot air.<\/p>\n

So yea, we do not see clear leadership in the party. And from all indications, the real Opposition Leader is Hector \u2018Sprags\u2019 Johns because he is the LEADER of the Opposition and I stress LEADER. He should be front and foremost in all issues. The others do not have to be shadows, but they are too vocal, and when people like BBC and other news agencies call for their comments, they should be directed to the OPPOSITION LEADER, not Ron Green, who lost his seat in the elections, disgracefully as Opposition Leader, regardless of whether his votes were stolen or not. As Opposition Leader at the time, his margin of loss or potential victory was too close; it is obvious the people spoke – that they do not want him anymore or they are getting tired of him, therefore, ‘branding’ him as Party Leader is a joke. \u2018Ron\u2019 should have been taking a backseat. And the same goes for Mr. James. He is the biggest shadow of the party in my opinion.<\/p>\n

Who knows, maybe John is the foot soldier and the one chairing meetings or leading the meetings, but can he tell James to shut up or tell Green, I think this is a better idea? Even if that’s the case, the public sees it differently. The public sees John as a puppet on a string.<\/p>\n

Until the UWP fixes its leadership issues and make it crystal clear, then they can move on in fixing others. We cannot have puppets and shadows leading a party. We need an OPPOSITION LEADER\u2026 not party leader or president leader.<\/p>\n

Let John do his do.<\/p>\n

Being an advocate for the people<\/strong><\/p>\n

Currently the Opposition is acting selfishly. It appears that every issue they are tackling are self-serving. These issues include the Bin Bobol, the \u201cvilla scandal\u201d, the sale of passports, etc. These are old issues of which much emphasis was placed over the last three years, especially during the 2009 general elections campaign. I thought the UWP would have won at least six seats, but they almost lost all their seats. This is evident that these issues did nothing to effect a change of government and that Dominicans\u00a0 \u2013 whether those overseas or those present in Dominica \u2013 are overwhelmingly supportive of the the DLP.<\/p>\n

Though I expected the UWP to win at least six seats, I did not expect them to win either. Why? Because the issues mentioned did not DRIVE HOME to the people, or the poor people. As a voter, I want to know what a party is planning to do to make my living conditions better. If I had a choice, I would choose a government promising free healthcare, new schools, and new houses over a party that continues to write and air about Bin Bobol and ownership of villas like a stuck tape. When I need food on my table I cannot use the Bin Bobol argument to buy food. So choosing between DLP and UWP is like choosing the lesser of two evils.<\/p>\n

Unemployment is high in Dominica, very high; wages are low; violent crime is on the increase; public servants need a raise in salary; Dominicans are migrating at an alarming rate; Chinese are taking over businesses; international fast food chains are popping up everywhere and putting local food stores out of business; small businesses are closing every day; VAT is killing us; taxes and duties are TOO HIGH; roads are in poor condition; the country is poorly marketed; tourism is not being taken seriously; Roseau needs a dire facelift; tourism sites need redevelopment and promotion; investors need to be attracted to come here and build multi-million dollar businesses in partnership with Dominicans to create jobs because government alone cannot create jobs with the same \u2018stale money\u2019 that is circulating from poor peoples\u2019 pockets; Dominica needs an injection of sustained and viable investment not just from China and countries that are perceived to be enemies of the World Powers; and I could go on and on and on.<\/p>\n

Yes, the Opposition has spoken on some of these issues, if not all. But they have not used any of these issues as MAIN political issues. They have not placed enough emphasis on these issues. Most people will remember the UWP as champions of the Bin Bobol , Fertiliser Bobol and Villa issues.<\/p>\n

When the Opposition staged protests, they did it FOR THEMSELVES. The DBS radio protest about not being able to air their views, the court case about elections results, etc. All this was done for party and not people. I am 100% sure if the Opposition gets into office tomorrow they will be accused of the same things they are arguing against now.<\/p>\n

Has the Opposition led an island-wide campaign against crime and violence, poverty, unemployment, etc? Corruption in government is no longer sufficient to get peoples vote and love. Times are rough and people have to feed their families, so they need to see the light from a viable party. That light is more jobs, more opportunities being created by sustainable investments, better educational opportunities, development of tourism, and better infrastructure.<\/p>\n

The Opposition must strike a balance with uncovering corruption and being a crusader for the suffering people by tackling the issues that really matter.<\/p>\n

Overall, the Opposition needs to start debating and pressuring the government about the every-day issues that affect our people, and stop acting like spoiled children, walking out of Parliament and holding their own ineffective Peoples Parliament, attended by a few and not representative of the majority of Dominicans. Poverty and unemployment is priority over electoral reform (for the PEOPLE).<\/p>\n

Nation building<\/strong><\/p>\n

There is this myth that an Opposition is totally dependent on Government for them to be able to carry out projects in their constituencies. This is not true. Government cannot do everything. The Opposition very well knows money is not free-flowing in the Treasury for them to get everything they want. I have seen many Opposition parties take power and cannot do half of what they promised or half of what they were accusing the government of not funding because a constituency does not belong to the then ruling party.<\/p>\n

The Opposition can partner with community organisations and carry out community projects ALL YEAR ROUND. The Opposition can get actively involved with any organisation in the community, schools, etc to ensure that their community is looked after. Fund-raisers are a start. But no, Oppositions will continue to abandon their constituents and tell them that government is not helping because they did not vote for the government. Poor excuse. The people already know you have little or no power to get the much-needed help you deserve, but total inaction is ridiculous.<\/p>\n

Even if you were not successful in the last election, that does not mean you should sleep until the next election. Continue to work with the people in your community and do not let your efforts go UNRECOGNISED.<\/p>\n

Nation building also involves debating the issues that are affecting the population. Nation building is also standing up for the PEOPLE, always at the forefront championing the cause of the people. Shout investment, investment, more jobs, more jobs, victimisation, victimisation, nepotism, nepotism, and a better life for everyone. Be a leader. Whenever the Opposition call meetings only a fraction of people show up. When Martin Luther King calls a meeting or Barack Obama calls a meeting, hundreds or thousands show up. These people are real leaders. They not only fight for freedom, equality and justice but for a better life for its people.<\/p>\n

Is the Opposition known for nation building?<\/p>\n

The Opposition should be actively involved with the people all year. So guys get to work in the communities.<\/p>\n

Public relations<\/strong><\/p>\n

By virtue of poor leadership, the Opposition does not have good public relations. If the Opposition has a public relations officer, then pinch me because they are not doing a good job.<\/p>\n

After reading earlier, the Opposition members may say, of course we are doing a lot for the community, of course we are doing this and that, of course we are on the radio all the time. That\u2019s not public relations.<\/p>\n

The Opposition is only bringing more negative publicity on themselves by debating and publicising the issues that are not immediately important to MOST PEOPLE. And they haven\u2019t learned.<\/p>\n

Nothing is wrong to tackle corruption and ensure the government is not corrupted, but do not make this take up all your resources and time because the people are not stupid. They would prefer to see Skerrit become a billionaire than to see their own brothers and sisters unable to collect a pay check or pay for their bills.<\/p>\n

The Opposition needs a vibrant, articulate, intelligent, trained and experienced public relations contact or spokesperson to disseminate information and news about the party\u2019s activities, their role in a democratic society and how they can better the lives of the people if they should get in power.<\/p>\n

The role of PRO is very critical and the Opposition Leader or any inexperienced senator or supporter cannot do this effectively if they are not trained in media relations or public relations. At least they cannot do it alone.<\/p>\n

Having a radio show where you constantly talk about the same issues will not help. Obviously, it has not been working.\u00a0 The whole image of the party needs to be revamped.<\/p>\n

If the Opposition decides to get more actively involved in the community, who will keep the people informed? How will they be informed? Do teenagers and college students know about the role of an Opposition party?<\/p>\n

During the election campaigning, the party made a mess: they almost never published a manifesto; finally, when it was published, the layout was unprofessional and dull and filled with grammatical errors; some candidates said a lot of foolishness, particularly the announcement of a currency for Castle Bruce, a very small village. That was the joke of the century. The blue question signs posted on light poles all over the country were laughable and made no sense. And months after election they are still seen. The UWP used the internet poorly to get their message out and instead of working along with the media, they labelled some media houses \u2018Red\u2019 which was senseless, especially when they had no proof (and there was none). Too many childish games. And the party members were always seeking to attack people WHO THEY BELIEVE, are not supportive of them. Some journalists, who did not even have anything to do with the ongoing mess, got involved in verbal fights and wars on the internet with UWP supporters. This brought undue animosity. The UWP opposition party needs to learn how to hold their \u201cdogs\u201d. Get a stronger leash.<\/p>\n

In my opinion, the Dominica Freedom Party (DFP) was more professional, more focused, and more organised in their campaigning. Unfortunately, their candidates were nowhere close to scratch, leaving us with the UWP which was not a better alternative. DLP had the finances, but people wanted a better choice and so they chose the lesser of three evils in this scenario, the DLP.<\/p>\n

There is a lot to be done, and as I said, the party needs to be revamped where its image is concerned and this cannot be done unless a real leader is identified and new blood is injected into the party.<\/p>\n

Qualified members<\/strong><\/p>\n

It happens too often in the Caribbean: every Jack and Jill wants to be a politician. And the people vote them in for them to represent at the lowest levels of illiteracy. It\u2019s not only about training, but commonsense, intelligence and the ability to speak properly, negotiate, be outspoken, charming, honest and diligent.<\/p>\n

The UWP needs new blood, people who can use the keyboards of a computer very well, who can type, who understands how to surf the net, who understands what the people need, how to debate the issues of the people effectively, how to lead, and overall, people with good reputation.<\/p>\n

A lot of the individuals in these political parties, not only in Dominica, but the wider Caribbean, have very bad reputations, but they get in power simply because of popularity. Some of them are obsessive, abusive, dunce, arrogant, ignorant, but because they are popular or handsome they get into power. But if you should truly know who they are, you would not even vote them in.<\/p>\n

I know a few people who want to get into power. Some of these people are very vindictive and very dirty in their thinking and ways of dealing with people. They are sheep in wolves clothing. They are no better than some of the government ministers. They are in it for the money, fame and power. They want to get into the Treasury too and purchase some villas or pay off their debts.<\/p>\n

Some of them are on Facebook and social networks trying to embarrass people, create problems yet they want to run for office in the near future.<\/p>\n

Leaders of the Opposition beware of some of these people. They are up to no good. Get qualified, decent people who are not only gifted with commonsense and love for the people, but who have a humble aura and can love and be loved.<\/p>\n

Working with government<\/strong><\/p>\n

There is also a myth that as an Opposition, the ruling party is your enemy.<\/p>\n

Opposition parties rarely approve of anything governments do for the fear of the ruling party using it against them in future elections, thereby losing votes. But this surely shows that some politicians are only for themselves and the party, and not for the people.<\/p>\n

When the government clearly does good work, nothing is wrong to thank the Government or praise the government. It\u2019s even better if the Opposition was instrumental or cooperated with the government in bringing that programme or project to fruition. Of course, if that was the case, I would not expect the Opposition to lay low and not make the world know that they did something.<\/p>\n

Recently, Tortola was affected severely by flooding. At the end of the heavy rains, the Opposition released a statement praising all the agencies, government and non-government, who were and are involved in the cleanup effort. The Opposition took a step further by offering its assistance to government.<\/p>\n

This is good. This is an example of mature leadership.<\/p>\n

In times of need and troubles, the Opposition should unite with Government for the people\u2019s sake because at the end of the day, we are one country and one people. We must unite for a better cause. In times of war when our sovereignty and security is threatened would we fight together or fight the invading countries as the Opposition and the Government? When the enemy invades they will cut down anything Dominican, Opposition or Government.<\/p>\n

My point is, regardless of the competition and the obvious functions of entities, we must unite when it is absolutely necessary. We cannot just always oppose for opposing sake.<\/p>\n

Nobody is perfect. Governments make mistakes. Opposition makes mistakes. Therefore, always flogging the government, especially when it is clear they did a good job in launching a project, shows immaturity and lack of vision, ESPECIALLY when the Opposition criticises but still FAILS to show a BETTER ALTERNATIVE. If you are going to criticise a programme, come with a better plan.<\/p>\n

So John, James and Green do not make the whole world think that nothing good is happening to Dominica. It is either you\u2019re going to admit when it\u2019s bad and show what good you can do, instead of just preaching negativity and wasting the taxpayers money. Be a part of the solution and not always a problem.<\/p>\n

There is a lot more I could write, but those are the most glaring deficiencies in my opinion.<\/p>\n

People should also remember that no political party is corrupt-free. Politicians are politicians.\u00a0 A lot of them just want to get into the hot seat.<\/p>\n

Next week, God\u2019s willing I will write an article about how the ruling party can maintain power and the love of the people.<\/p>\n

See ya next week!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Opposition in any jurisdiction is as important to true democracy like water is important to our daily living. 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