UNC vague on reform

It is time for the Opposition United National Congress to take the people of Trinidad and Tobago into its confidence and tell them the specific areas of the Constitution it sees in need of change and why. The country needs to know the reform objectives of the UNC if it is to be able to make an informal judgment on the party’s demand for constitutional reform. Today, after more than a year of calling for constitutional reform, the only areas that the UNC has spoken of publicly have been Proportional Representation (PR) and the issue of the President being elected via the process of one man, one vote.     

But clearly, the people need to know more of the United National Congress’ views on such a critical matter of reform. In addition, the UNC must present cogent reasons for the need to make any changes it deems to be necessary. Merely calling for Proportional Representa-tion and the direct election by the voters of the President cannot be enough. Particularly, when the Party which was once in Government has announced it would not support any legislation unless there were discussions on constitutional reform, and reform itself. How can the country support or reject the Opposition’s call if it does not know exactly what the UNC has in mind? Or is it that Proportional Representation is the crux of its arguments? Is it that the United National Congress feels that PR is the way for it both to achieve power and to retain it indefinitely?

There may be merit in the Opposition’s demand for PR, but it must explain to the public the benefits it sees in PR as opposed to the present first past the post system. It should not leave it up to the voters to assume its rationale for PR. Or does it believe that its approach that PR would allow each voter an equal share in deciding who should represent the country in Parliament sufficient? Or is the demand for constitutional reform or else merely an excuse for blocking needed legislation which may require a special majority?