Local govt elections not sexy

The national population simply does not appear to think that local government elections are as important as general elections and simply refuse to vote.

Ironically, it is the local government representative that can have the most direct impact on the lives of the citizenry with simple things as garbage collection etc. As such it is now critically important for all political parties to put their collective minds to address this voter apathy and to attempt to get the magic formula to energise them.

Sadly, in this election this formula remains undiscovered by both of the major parties, the United National Congress (UNC ) and the People’s National Movement (PNM). Both sides claimed victory following last week’s election, but it is clear the population lost with the pathetic turnout.

With predictable low voter turnout its remains only to the party faithful to respond to the battle cry, which they did in record low numbers.

Mobilisation of these people is key to electoral victory in local government elections. Historically, the myth has always been that the PNM has the most organised electoral machinery, while the UNC has always been accused of not investing in institutions and the planning process.

This year’s election, if you ask most people, will be defined in one word — “roti”. The badgering of the Prime Minister during the time allocated for Prime Minister’s Question Time by MP Barry Padarath elevated the murmuring about the alleged cost of functions by the Kamla Persad-Bissessar administration to a deafening crescendo.

This provided the opening for the well-ridden and emotive electoral template of race politics to emerge as a major discussion point as it angered both sides of the racial divide.

To their respective credit, both major political parties attempted to discuss serious issues on their platforms.

The PNM had as its major plank reform of the local government system while the UNC was asking the population to use the election as a referendum on the year-old Government, especially on the issues of crime and the economy.

Ironically, these issues in general have little or no relevance to local government elections. For example, the PNM plank of reform of the local government system is an issue that has to be debated in the House of Representatives and winning or losing will not affect its passage.

The most it can be said is that the issue of local government reform as presented by the PNM appeared to be met with the approval of the electorate that bothered to come out.

The minor parties of the Movement for Social Justice and the National Solidarity Assembly had serious discussions on a variety of issues that just struggled to make news. The launch of a local government manifesto by the UNC sadly did not add to the political conversation.

Unfortunately, these issues were just not sexy enough it seems.

The PNM on the other hand did not even bother to launch a manifesto.

The relevance of printed paper manifestos and other aspects of traditional elections in an age of social media is changing with changing perceptions of the populace.

Is it that the collective media, knowing that the population would not get worked up about serious issues, focused on bacchanal instead? Or is that the population is only responding to bacchanal and forced the media to cover what animates voters? Local government as a product does not meet the expectations of its target market and as such the targeted people do not respond to the sales pitch and just do not buy the product. The significance of local government and its consequential impact on the lives of nationals do not exist in the minds of most, or at least not enough to get them to go out and vote. The political parties were selling a product that no one apparently wanted to purchase.

Of course the easiest scapegoat for this high level of voter apathy is the politician. But is it really? How is that voters come out in droves for a general election yet trickle out for the local government election? Is it that the population only views the high stakes of national governance as worthy of responding to? After all, the annual national Budget is now over $50 billion, compared to the paltry sum allocated to the local government bodies.

In many instances the Member of Parliament competes with the councillor for work done in a particular area, thereby further blurring the lines of relevance of the local government representatives.

It would have been expected that with the proliferation of social media, allowing the population to be connected almost instantaneously on everything local, there would have been a greater interest in the local government election. The major political parties have failed to use social media in a strategic manner and instead allowed it to develop in a free-fall organic manner.

The political parties no doubt have been trying to excite the population about local government elections using the tried and tested methods. The product being sold to the voting public does not appear to be connecting. The message is just not resulting in a call to action. This is not only true for this year but for previous elections.

Unfortunately, the political parties appear to be unconcerned about the low voter turnout and at least unimaginative enough to attempt to remedy it. If you had a business and your product is barely selling and you are just getting by, would you not at least try to change the manner in which you do business to attract more customers? The relevance of local government in a modern political context has to be critically examined. Reform of an irrelevant local government mechanism will not improve its relevance. Some have advanced the concept that in small-island nations such as ours, perhaps an expanded House of Representatives will be more meaningful.