Dear Editor,
While the legitimacy of the election is being debated in public and will be addressed by the court, I wish to focus on the incoming list of parliamentarians as well as the list of regional councillors and chairs. This is a very significant issue, as significant as the selection of the cabinet.
The most suitable individuals should be selected to sit in the chamber as well as in the Regional Democratic Councils. They must meet the attributes of character and competence to engage in debate. They must add to a discussion not merely be ‘yes’ men or women. Surely, such individuals are found in both parties. Loyalty to a leader should not be a sufficient criterion for a post. It is understandable that the leader would want loyalists. But that will do a disservice to the party and the country. We saw what happened over the last 50 years. We do not want a repeat. We must learn from that experience and choose men who are worth the title of being described as ‘Honourable Member’, like those who sat in the chamber before 1966.
The parties’ representatives, who are also the peoples’ representatives, must be individuals of substance. They must be able to comprehend what they read and apply critical thinking to bills and proposals. They must be able to analyze the problems of society and propose suggestions to same. They must be even-handed in tackling issues and act and inclusively, ie, propose suggestions that would benefit people of all ethnic groups rather than just their own supporters. The people must demand no less. The privileged few must never again be allowed to control the levers of power as in the past, ignoring the majority of us as though we are their servants.
The legislators must not be compromised; they should have independence of thought and action. The parties’ leaders must select those who are strong willed and who can act in the best interest of voters, not the best interests of the parties or their selfish leaders.
Yours faithfully,
Vishnu Bisram
