It is clear to any unbiased observer that the real reason for postponing the Local Government elections which were due shortly, is because given the present state of disaffection in the country the ruling PNM has figured that they will lose. So, the PNM is gambling that things might turn around in 12 months time and if not they cacan always kick this particular can down the road again.
The problem with this strategy is that it starts to push the local elections that much closer to the general elections, and a massive loss in the local could create a kind of tsunami that would be impossible to hold back resulting in a potential major defeat for the ruling Party.
While I understand the reasoning in favour of delay, history has shown that the closer local elections are to a general election that the results of the local election can be mirrored in the general. Remember the massive defeat of the PNM in the local elections a year or two before the general election in the mid nineteen eighties? My own view is that the PNM might be better off in taking the licking now, rather than later. Because, the truth is that most voters are fed-up. People perceptions are that they are worse off today than when Rowley & Co. took power. And they feel that there has been more than enough time to fix things. Unless, of course, the Government is privy to certain information that it hasn't shared with us as yetwhich would or could change the picture completely.
Added to this perception is that a lot of people simply do not believe anything that the Prime Minister or his minions do not tell the truth. Most people, for example, do not believe that Dr. Rowley has contracted Covid for a seemingly unprecedented fifth time. While this may (or may not) be true, what is so sad is that people generally do not believe that their Prime Minister is telling the truth about this. And a photo of the Prime Minister in social media allegedly taken just last Saturday doesn't help. The trust is simply not there for most people, and except for the diehard supporters, who would vote for a crapaud in a balisier tie, they simply don't believe anything that the Government says.
You have, for example, the ruling by what is probably the worst Speaker this country has ever had, who decided that the burgeoning crime rate is not urgent nor is it of public importance. According to her it is certainly not definite! And so, in the highest court in the land the ruling Speaker has effectively prevented the country from hearing what the Opposition has to say nor how they would fix it! It's not of sufficient public importance to be discussed in the Parliament! Unbelievable!! What in the name of heaven does she think Parliament is for?
Of course, the ever growing list of victims of crime might disagree with her, but their opinions won't count until election time when (she might hope) other matters can take prominence and this rather "piffling" matter of crime will be forgotten (or at least moved far enough away so that enough people might forget her idiocy).
But the mistakes and the missteps keep piling up. That the Opposition has so far failed to convince the majority of the voting population speaks also to their incompetence. and inability to get their message across. It is as if the politicians on both sides believe that running a negative campaign will pull more votes (' vote for us because the other side will do worse and you will be worse off') is better than admitting that there are problems and presenting positive solutions as to dealing with them. But at the end of the day, it is our fault, because we put up with the lies and half truths, not to mention the incompetence. And this is on both sides!
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