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The
Trinidad and Tobago Electoral Process - Strengthening the
Nation’s Political Culture |
By: Dr. Rubén Silié Valdez the Secretary General of the
Association of Caribbean States.
October 15, 2007: For the foreigners residing in
Trinidad and Tobago, the current election campaign has been
one of the main attractions in recent months. It calls our
attention to the manner in which the political issue has
entered the picture, holding the top spot on the national
agenda. This is a country that likes to portray itself with
intensity, whether in economic activity, or in the sporting
arena with its participation in international competitions,
either Football or Cricket, or in the area of recreation, as
is the case with its Carnival. Similarly, the electoral
process is mobilising Trinbagonians; who have joined the
campaigns of their respective political parties with the
same enthusiasm displayed in those areas we mentioned
earlier.
The country has advanced rapidly during its forty five years
of independence and although the time spent as an
independent nation is not that long when compared to that of
most of the countries of the continent, Trinidad and Tobago
has demonstrated a strong conviction, incorporating into its
political culture the main characteristics of democracy as
its political system.
It should not come as a surprise that electoral
participation provokes such interest, since elections
represent one medium of expressing popular sovereignty,
being the primary resource for ensuring the legitimacy of
the political power, and in this young nation, that right
should undoubtedly be one of those exercised with greater
satisfaction, as it reaffirms the independent will that gave
rise to the creation of the nation.
The election campaign is a civic exercise, where citizens
have the opportunity to show their commitment to the nation
and to the future of their people, since the election result
will determine the course that will be plotted for national
public affairs.
Electoral participation is one of the mechanisms for the
establishment of governments, as well as the emergence of
other new governments. The political parties put their
structures to the test, by producing debates, firstly in the
area of programmes and then in the application of election
strategies. It is a time when both the governing bodies and
the activists, pure and simple, complement each other in the
coordination of a campaign that should ensure perfect
communication with the voting masses.
The political debate held in the country has dealt with the
issues of political reform, such as the proposal to amend
the Constitution, with which an attempt is made to establish
changes in the institutional order. However, there has also
been debate on public security, social and economic
policies, providing the opportunity for different visions to
be presented to the voters.
Unlike the other countries of the region, Trinidad and
Tobago did not undergo the dictatorial and authoritarian
processes that were so abundantly replicated during the
twentieth century among the Latin American countries, where
dictatorships were consolidated for more than twenty years,
and also where there was a proliferation of military
governments, authoritarian governments and those who deny
the democratic system.
Trinidad and Tobago is a young nation that rose to
independence without those authoritarian experiences that
have left an indelible mark on the political cultures of the
other neighbouring countries. This is a positive factor for
strengthening democracy, given that once the dominant
sectors have achieved emancipation they have not sought to
legitimise their power through the use of force, but instead
with the sovereign will of the nation. This important
characteristic is a guarantee to ensure the integrity of the
elections and the free participation of the voters.
The political colours are out in the streets, with each one
promoting its own vision for its nation. It is our hope that
the enthusiasm of the voters would continue to grow so that
on November 5, the journey would come to an end and the
elections would be a civic carnival, whose results would
help to not only boost the strength of the democratic
system, but to also raise the social quality of the citizens
of Trinidad and Tobago. |
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