by Nadine Bushell, member of the CCSJ
Elections and party politics are very much in the air in Trinidad and Tobago. The Tobago elections were held in January of this year, the Chaguanas West by-election took place last month and the country is heading towards Local Government elections. There are varying reactions to the politically charged environment. Many persons wish they did not have to hear, watch or be in any way affected by the political activities and actually prefer to watch a good movie as opposed to a political rally. Others ensure they are directly in front of the television or have a radio close at hand to hear every word. Then there are those who ordinarily are not very interested but feel the need to be sufficiently aware so that they can at least contribute to one of the many heated conversations they are likely to fall into.
What role do we as a Catholic population have to play in elections? Elections represent the formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Those persons who hold public office are in fact “stewards”; they are duty bound to make decisions, after careful consideration and justification, that are in the best interest of the public. They must work toward the common good. They must have ethics – an accountability standard by which the public will scrutinise their work.
In several instances, many holders of public office or persons aspiring to public office are Catholics. We, as members of the Catholic population at the simplest level, can offer them up in prayer. Where we know them personally, we should provide good counsel, reminding them of the teachings of the Church and encouraging them to be true to those teachings. We must provide the support required.
At another level, many of us need to advocate more on behalf of the Church. While the Church may have official spokespersons on a number of issues, we must add to the discussions through letters to the newspapers, call-in radio programmes and discussions with colleagues, friends and family members. These are small but effective ways that keep our public officials informed of the population’s view and also help in keeping them accountable to the public. It is not only about listening to the election “bacchanal”.
Catholic adults must also develop in Catholic children a sense of what is morally right and wrong, and an understanding of the common good and their responsibilities as a citizen to secure the future happiness of the nation.
But in order to do this, we must first be informed about the Church’s teachings. This requires us to spend more time studying the word of God in groups and on our own. This is the basic but most important level.
For those of us who want to be more involved, there are political parties which, by and large, are the main vehicles by which persons in public office are groomed and presented to the population. As Catholics we should not be afraid to participate and assist in shaping these organisations. In Trinidad and Tobago, political parties raise money, acquire staff, encourage supporters to vote, recruit volunteers and maintain party headquarters.
Many of us equate political parties with elections only. The Church, however, has a broader view of political parties. “Political parties have the task of fostering widespread participation and making public responsibilities accessible to all. Political parties are called to interpret the aspirations of the society, orienting them towards the common good, offering citizens the effective possibility of contributing to the formulation of political choices.”
Political parties should be capable of articulating philosophies and developing policies since in our society political parties form the Government. Or, they may form the Opposition and have a critical role in scrutinising the policies of the Government of the day, providing workable alternatives and keeping the general population informed of the effects of Government policies. It is important for them to formulate methods to debate issues both during and after an election campaign. They can provide the population with useful information and help them find the best solutions to promote the common good. Parties are one of the main avenues for political debate and discussion in the community.
A party’s “product” should be its political programme, which should be put before the electorate. To this end, the manifesto proposed by parties should perform two main functions. First, it should articulate the interests of the people (parties as a mouthpiece of the people). And secondly, manifestos also have the task of influencing public opinion (parties as formers of opinion). In coming up with a manifesto, parties should seek to pull together varying interests to find compromise between differing groups and sections of society in order that the conflicting arguments do not come to a head. As active Catholics and members of political parties, we should assist in shaping these policy positions. And, if we are not active, we have a responsibility to assess them and provide Catholic feedback.
Political parties “must be democratic in their internal structure, and capable of political synthesis and planning”. When assessing parties, citizens need to understand how the internal processes of the party work. Are internal party elections free? Does everyone have a say? Do some have more of a say than others? These are excellent markers which can indicate what is likely to happen if the party gets into Government. Catholics must be aware.
