TODAY’S protest march by the opposition United Workers Party (UWP) has the potential to kick into high gear the next general elections constitutionally due in just under two years’ time.
That it takes an issue such as fuel to spark such a diverse, intense and contentious debate among the local politicians is heat enough to increase the demand for public political debates. For many years now, Saint Lucians have been clamouring for political hopefuls to square off – at least verbally – in town hall-styled settings to discuss issues of national interest. To date, that call has gone unheeded.
Having picked up heat since government released the adjusted rates for gasolene, diesel and liquid propane gas (LPG) in mid-January, the war of words between the opposition UWP and the government has become a seemingly never-ending tit-for-tat. Both sides are claiming to have the correct information on the matter with neither resisting the urge to throw the next blow.
For the past two and a half weeks, countless press releases and pronouncements on radio, television, print and social media by both sides have escalated to the point where one finds it difficult to figure out who’s leading or misleading the masses via the plethora of information. Given that the issue has taken on such an unpredictable form – and ever-increasing seriousness – a town hall-styled debate on the issue between both party leaders seems appropriate.
Quite often, it takes going the route least or never taken that leads to societies developing and maturing. While the current state of affairs in Saint Lucia might be less than desired for many, there are some moments that can be capitalized upon to bring about change for the greater good. To simply continue to say that town hall-styled meetings to debate national issues is not the norm for local politicians is parallel to saying that real change can only come without changing.
While the results of today’s protest march remains to be determined, there is no denying that the opposition will use whatever mileage it can get from its tank of expressed frustration to apply heat to the sitting government. On the other hand, the government might be inclined to view the opposition’s frustration as a desperate attempt at scoring political mileage.
Whatever the case, the reality is that the stalemate between the two sides in coming to a decision to openly and respectfully debate the pressing issues affecting the country can undoubtedly prove to be flammable for the country at large. That’s a price that everyone can end up paying – not necessarily at the pump.