NO TO PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION
P. Polar 02/09/04
Published as: We need to escape the two party system. Trinidad Newsday 9.10.04
The Editor: It is generally accepted that there is a level of racial disharmony in our country resulting from the different ethnic bases of our two major political parties. A solution for peaceful governance of our multi-ethnic society is sorely required however, I deeply concerned when some of our prominent citizens are supporting the concept of proportional ethnic representation in our Parliament. This is a dangerous path to tread and may lead to an escalation of tensions rather than a cessation of them.
There are several obvious problems with this solution. Are our representatives going to be solely Indo-Trinidadian and Afro-Trinidadian or are we planning to have representation from the other races or mixes of races? If so, how are you going to decide the proportion? Would you be required to trace your heritage to ensure purity of your race?
If we are catering to the sensitivities of the population, should we consider gender and ensure that half our Parliamentarians are women? What about Tobagonians? Are they to be given a special proportion or will they be lumped under Afro? What about catering to economic class, religion or the physically challenged? In this scenario, to be a representative you may need to have a combination of several things. Political parties may soon be looking for visually challenged Indo-Trinidadian Catholic men or wealth Afro Tobagonian Presbyterians.
Our problem does not stem from our multi-ethnicity nor does it originate from our Westminster system. It stems from the fact that we have only two major political parties who happen to have ethnic bases. In other countries where there are only two major political parties, tensions, even violence is common where the dividing line is not race but ideology, religion or class.
To overcome racial tensions in our society we must escape the two party system. This is a difficult task, as the system has been engineered to suppress other fledgling political parties. The amendment to the Representation of the People Act 2000 increased the cost of registering a candidate from $500 to $5,000. This means that for a third party to contest the election in our now 37 constituencies, $185,000 needs to be raised even before a poster is printed. Thus only political parties, who are in pockets of big business, would even stand a chance.
For democracy to prevail, we must create a level playing field for independents and alternative parties. I would like to propose the following. Firstly, the cost of registering a candidate should be returned to its original level. Secondly, campaign contributions should be limited to $1,000 from individuals and $10,000 from business. Thirdly, violation of the Code of Conduct, which was agreed to in the last elections, should lead to disqualification of the offending candidate as adjudged by the EBC. Finally, though a bit out of the box, voters should be allowed to vote for “none of the above”. If the number of “votes” in this category exceeds the candidate with the most votes then a bye-election should be called. All candidates previously nominated should be ineligible.
Author's note: Article was written when Mr. Loc Jack mentioned this on Morning Edition. Proportional representation was being touted as part of Panday’s Constitutional reform.