Dear Sir
Two items will determine the next general election in Trinidad and Tobago; race is not one of them. The number one issue will be the economy. Regardless of one’s political position, one would be inclined to vote for someone who in their opinion would allow them to put food on the table and meet their monthly expenses. The second issue is crime.
Investors, business owners, and the ordinary man want to feel a sense of safety as they go through their daily challenges. The party that convinces the population that they can deliver on these two issues will win the next general election.
Let us look at what is required and who is best poised to deliver. The economy would require new investors, it would require investments in a number of areas, manufacturing, agriculture, tourism, shipping services, and business partnership with international partners in the energy sector.
Consideration must be given to partnership with Guyana where Trinidad and Tobago can refine their oil and utilize their gas. There must be development in infrastructure that will necessitate loans to build roads and highways and massive housing projects. There must be a revival of economic activity that is strategic.
The area of crime will require new laws for dealing with gun violence and a strategic approach to the penalty for murder that either carries out the death penalty or revise the penalty to life imprisonment with no parole. There must be modern approaches to policing with specifically trained officers to deal with gun violence and gangs, the use of surveillance drones must be widespread and there must be investment in sports and other economic activities that are a viable alternative to criminal life.
The two major political parties do not seem to have the personnel, the vision, the commitment, or the willingness to do what is necessary to deal effectively with the two major challenges of the country. There is no incentive for them to do so as they can win if they convince their supporters that the other is corrupt or if they can blame the other for racial divisiveness.
The challenge is for a viable alternative to these two parties to emerge and within a few months convince the population that they have the personnel, the structural stability, and the commitment to make the changes necessary to improve the lives of all the people of Trinidad and Tobago. Can it happen? Only time will tell!
Alternatively, the population already know what to expect from the two major parties.
God Bless Our Nation
Steve Alvarez
