Voters send a clear message

The voice of the powerful and resilient “no vote” emerged the real winner, sending a clear and concise message to both parties and both leaders that the real power lies in the right index finger of the electorate.

The preliminary figures from the Elections and Boundaries Commission indicate that approximately 34.34 percent of people eligible to vote actually cast their ballots last Monday. Compare this figure to the 43.60 percent voter turnout in the 2013 election. The decrease of ten percent is alarming.

This difference should be a cause of concern for both the Kamla Persad- Bissessar-led UNC and the Dr Keith Rowley-led PNM.

All other parties – Independent Liberal Party, Congress of the People and Movement for Social Justice, whose accumulated votes amounted to under 500 – failed to capture the interest of the population along their respective campaign trails in the run-up to the election.

It doesn’t take a renowned political scientist to analyse the outcome of the election and give a final verdict – the people of TT are fed up of the “rum and roti” politics. The “no vote” or low voter turnout can be seen not only as a form of disinterest in the political affairs of the country but also as a cry for help – a cry for good governance and a cry for strong leadership to take TT into developed world status.

Could this be the dawn of a new era in the political landscape of TT ? Are the 66 percent of people who did not cast their vote willing to sever their political ties in the general election of 2020? Or will this bold statement grow fragile with the duration of time? Only time will tell.

It’s up to both leaders of the major political parties – the UNC and the PNM – to capitalise on the message sent in last week’s election: serve the people, serve the people, serve the people.

VARSHA SANKAR via email