It’s Finally Over
Thank God for we PNM yes gyul. Dem Indian and dem talking too much schupidness. – My aunt to my mother.
From her statement some of you might guess that my aunt is some kind of under-educated, swearing, rum-drinking bacchanalist. She is none of these things. My aunt is an educated woman who left her Canadian university one dissertation short of a PhD. She is also a devoutly religious woman.
My point in highlighting this is not to condemn my aunt (although I do condemn her statements), I want to ask you where are we going? When I sit back and look at it all, it’s disheartening. My aunt is by no means an isolated case either in my extended family or the whole of Trinidad and Tobago for that matter. I have an uncle even more educated than his sister there who is guilty of saying things that are just as negative. And I am sure that many of you have been put off by things your near and dear family members have said – things you might not have expected from them. I did not expect this from her after all. A lot of us have come to expect statements like this from wider society, but it’s always more disheartening to hear this coming from our own.
Part of me thinks that we are doomed as a society if we continue to vote on race and religion the way we did on November 5th. I scoff at the people who tell me that the majority of people voted on issues. The way I see it is that the majority people to this day still vote for a party based on skin colour and hair texture.
That having been said, I am proud to have made up that 148,000 that voted for the COP. I would not have voted had it not been for the them and I feel the same is true for many others. Despite what Mr. Panday says, the COP did no “wrong” to the country. We who voted for them did not believe in either the UNC or the PNM. I don’t subscribe to the thought that we should have voted for the UNC-A in order to not “split the vote”. I don’t understand the UNC-A’s notion that if you’ve voted for the UNC in the past, votes are by default theirs and you shouldn’t ever vote for anyone else. Votes are earned on a voter by voter basis and in the minds of COP voters, the UNC-A did not earn their votes. We did what we did, not because it was popular, but because it was right. I would do it all over again if I had to because sometimes you have to stand up for what you believe in regardless of the outcome if only to sleep well at night.
So what we go do people?
P.S. – Contrary to what my aunt thinks, my mother voted COP as did the rest of my immediate family.
26 Responses to “It’s Finally Over”
By Chennette on Nov 12, 2007 | Reply
Hear Hear. Such comments from not-immediate family is hard to take. But then, we’ve always been a bit different any way. I blame my parents.
BTW – Mani, don’t you have nuff fodder for dotish talk from the elections? I nominate the statement Panday made in respect of his lack of enthusiasm to take up his seat in parliament, because all you can do is talk as the Government has a majority. It is that attitude towards our legislative process that resulted in the UNC not doing enough to call the Government to account, or to go further than bandy around the words “Constitutional reform”. Our Parliament is not perfect, but there is a role for Opposition, just not one who keeps dreaming of being on the other side to the exclusion of all else.
But there are so many more quotes to use also…
By Anonymous on Nov 12, 2007 | Reply
Mani I have an aunt who shocks me too…its amazing to think you could be realted to stupid people
btw..i love you blog!! Amazing!!
By Anonymous on Nov 12, 2007 | Reply
My immediate family also voted CoP, but then again I am used to hearing about “dem creole” from my extended family in Central.
I agree with you sir…it’s a mindset that I thought was changing with my generation (40+) and younger, but when i look at the age group of the newer PNM and UNC reps (and supporters), I get disheartened.
The only thing that I could say is that we just have to forge ahead and just do the right things for the right reasons. Those who still view life through racial lenses are bound to lose out in the end. I only hope that they don’t bring the country down with them in the end.
Kerry Mulchansingh, Toronto, Canada
By Mani on Nov 12, 2007 | Reply
Well I thought I was the only one with cringe-inducing family, lol.
Chennette, I have so much fodder, it’s just that with the internet being as slow as it is these days, it’s hard to psych myself up to go into my template to change the dotish talk column. I really need to make myself do it though.
Anonymous 2:31, well thank you for your compliments. It is very hard to believe you are from that stock, but I guess we can’t choose our relatives, can we?
Anonymous 3:07, I was watching the evening news sometime during the PNM screening controversy and the interviewer asked a guy (I’m sure just barely over 20) what he thought about his MP being given the boot. Mr. Man’s reply was, “daiz ok, once iz ah PNM”. Well I was shocked to see the mentality of this youth who probably couldn’t name 5 Government ministers.
And on Saturday night before the election I was talking to this 18 year old guy I know and he asked me who I was voting for, so I said “COP”. He replied, “boy, PNM is the real thing”. You should have heard him too, as if we were talking about our favourite artists. I’ve been very disappointed by the youth in this election and I guess it just shows how early the brainwashing starts and how much work there is to be done.
By Anonymous on Nov 12, 2007 | Reply
I just wish that T&T had more young people like yourself, who seriously think about the country, where we’re heading, and vote conscienciously on the issues. If we just continue on this race thing, there can be no where to go but down. I read your blog every day, not only to hear your (and others) opinions, but also to keep up to date on the issues in T&T (I have been away since ‘05). Keep up the good work.
Kerry Mulchansingh, Toronto, Canada
By Anonymous on Nov 13, 2007 | Reply
Why you putting ur auntie on blast?!
By bandwagonist on Nov 13, 2007 | Reply
mani i missed u @ the rally on Sunday… the turnout surprised many who attended but I gearing up for Local Government…
Majority of my family I are COP and I too had a whole household support… but the die hard uncle who believes in Panday I will still claim…
I guess the COP voters are those who really don’t study ethnicity
to the UNC supporters who still believe that COP split the vote… steups… I wuddna vote if there was no COP… and when u have 15 safe seat and the EBC move boundaries and split up PNM strongholds what did you expect?
I am disappointed with the people who clamoured for change and didn’t VOTE…
oh yeah… will the UNC still encompass their allies? or did thy all finally realise that they brought nothing to the table…
great is the PNM… it has prevailed (this time)… T&T still ruing their decision not to move with the COP…
By Lilandra on Nov 13, 2007 | Reply
my immediate family vote COP too…because they felt it was important and the right thing to do
and how would we have felt if we didn’t vote … at least we tried
and UNC doesn’t own my vote…
if not for COP, my family would probably not have voted…we would have been desperate for change but a change can never be Manning or Mr “what’s the point of opposition, you can only talk?” Panday.
if some people don’t see the point of opposition then they should step out of politics and leave people who think there’s hope or are willing to try to do it.
By Anonymous on Nov 13, 2007 | Reply
hey mani i stumbled upon this and i thought it would be great to share it. it speaks the truth and everyone should read it
–
The Scapegoats: An Analysis of COP Splitting the Vote
by Kevin Hosein and Matt Lee Wanhoy
First of all, this is not meant to attack any supporter of any party just because they supported that party. This is to reflect upon the behaviour and questions obstinately repeated by supporters of both the COP and the UNC-A after the elections.
COP received 148,000 votes – about 46,000 shy of the UNC-A’s vote count. Added up, they would have had more votes than the PNM, but that is only considering every COP vote was siphoned from the UNC-A. Why could they not just unite in the first place? It can be speculated that one of reasons was the UNC-A’s malicious attitude towards Mr. Dookeran and his party while they were asking for him to join. The degrading rhetoric that the UNC-A leaders and masses chanted, punctuated by ultimatums and threats do not really account for sincerity or integrity. COP member Sadiq Baksh claimed chance of unity dissolved with the UNC-A’s decision to not make Kamla Persad-Bissessar a leader – and one can only surmise that the COP became skeptical and suspicious of Mr. Panday’s alleged good will after that.
Now, why in the world would anyone vote for the COP in the first place? All that can be said is that some people wanted an alternative (subset from the UNC or not), a break from the usual two-party politics, one was presented to them, they liked that alternative and they chose it.
As for the people who said the COP ’stole’ great deals of the UNC-A votes, the COP would have then obtained approximately 40% of the UNC-A former support base – if marking the siphoned PNM votes cancelling out the people who were tempted to not vote for the ‘losing’ party simply to vote out the PNM, despite thinking COP was better than the UNC-A. With that much votes migrated, there must have been some sort of unaddressed problem with the UNC-A – because no one loses that amount of votes just like that, especially to a party just one year out of formation – subset of the UNC or not. Nevertheless, my point is that, rather than lash out and chastise, why not be introspective and try to figure out the reason for so many people defecting?
To the detractors claiming the COP caused the PNM to win – a question stands, and that is: even without the COP splitting your vote, would you have won? Highly unlikely. This is not exactly unbiased but this deals in data and facts derived from that data. This data is from the Daily Express official data listings on page 4 / 5 of the 7th November edition of the paper.
N.B. Keep in mind that 334,000 individuals decided not to vote so instead of trying to debunk this theory with this, try speculating as to why these individuals did not vote in the first place. If you are one of that 334,000, keep this quote by Plato in mind – “Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber.”
Five seats would have changed from PNM to UNC-A if EVERYONE who voted for COP voted for the UNC-A. These are:
• Barataria/San Juan [7,179 vs 5,358 + 3,917]
• Chaguanas East [6,757 vs 4,933 + 4,086]
• Pointe-a-Pierre [7,427 vs 6,136 + 3,740]
• Princess Town South/Tableland [8,919 vs 7,908 + 1.437]
• St. Joseph [7,965 vs 4,945 + 4,145]
Also bear in mind this is only hypothetical as the COP appealed to PNM supporters as well as undecided voters. All this wraps into a final tally of 20-21 in favour of the PNM, which means that the PNM would still win. This would entail that the UNC-A would not have won enough seats to unseat the incumbents in any case and would have simply won their strongholds by a greater margin and gained the popular vote as is the par scenario in Trinidad and Tobago for over 12 years.
Also very important is that in THIRTEEN seats the COP beat the UNC-A in terms of votes these are: D’Abadie/O’Meara, Diego Martin Central, Diego Martin North/East, Diego Martin West, Laventille East/Morvant, Laventille West, Point Fortin, Port of Spain North/St. Ann’s West, Port of Spain South, San Fernando East, San Fernando West, St. Ann’s East and Tunapuna.
Now, in the aftermath, people may talk about fancy terms like Special Majority but the special majority for Trinidad and Tobago is at 28 (2/3 x 41, rounding up), their reasoning being to prevent Mr. Patrick Manning from becoming an “Executive President.” Contrary to what appears to be a popular belief, politicians lie… all of them… or at least embellish or exaggerate to their own ends and in their hypocrisy. They all claim to have God on their side, not only because they may actually believe it but because they recognize God as a tool to sway the masses, when the majority of politicians often play the devil. Bear in mind as well that Basdeo Panday said he was not against Executive Presidency, just not with Patrick Manning as it. Also when Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj cast his ballot he said that if the UNC-A lost elections it would be because of their own machinery breaking down.
So, please, COP hecklers, have a modicum of dignity – the UNC-A would not have won in any case. And guess what? There is no special majority for the PNM and while Patrick Manning, Basdeo Panday and Winston Dookeran are considered role models by the young supporters of their respective parties, the best thing Basdeo Panday can do in the aftermath is blame others, be incapable of simple arithmetic, incite further schism, breathe spite and malice and chant for a catharsis through violence and sullen lessons learnt only after doom befalls those who did not vote for his party.
And so the ridicule continues without end. But think about this – we have learnt that we really cannot win without a coalition and that coalition should be one that does not breathe spite upon others and bully other parties to join them. If that is your best intention, UNC-A supporters, why do you continuously degrade the people who voted for the COP? Why do you berate them, lambaste them, ridicule them and make them into political scapegoats? Why do you stir up even more bad blood with them and push them further away from you when the truth is that you need them?
To conclude this point, the bitter section of the UNC-A support keeps saying, “United We Stand, Divided We Fall” but when you point your fingers and blame and call 148,000 people scapegoats, in your brazen attempt to guilt-trip them to crawl back into your party, dividing the country is exactly what you are doing. The same goes for the UNC-A hecklers from the COP – you are no better than them. Even though the COP was spread out nicely across the board with more than 2,000 votes in every Trinidad constituency, except five, the fact remains that they still failed to get a seat. But their support remains tremendous, and now they have to realize that they do need some of the UNC-A supporters to win.
And in the end, slander and name-calling solves nothing. We have no choice but to keep a close eye on Mr. Manning and his Cabinet for this term. Party politics leads us to believe there exists three distinct sets of people with three distinct sets of interests and the only way for each group to fulfil these interests is to have their party at the helm, and this is something everyone should think about, but, unlike Mr. Panday, we should not hope and wait for a grave lesson-teaching tragedy but hope for the best and wish everyone the best – that the PNM and the UNC-A use their position to reduce crime and provide more opportunities, that the COP maintains and establishes a closer connection with its supporters and that everyone else get along and try to make the best of what they have. But keep writing those letters, circulating those opinions, posting on forums, CCing to the editors and hope for the next elections that something works out in everybody’s favour, not just for a political party.
Lastly, even if their parties did not win, for the next five years, instead of fighting over a loss, those party members should recognize they don’t have to be at the helm in order to try to make this a better country. This goes for everyone else in T&T. Even though there are some situations we cannot help, there are tactics we can implement to alleviate our problems without the aid of a political party. Tired of the crime? Don’t sit and grumble about the government for five long years – try your best to organize a neighbourhood watch. It may make just a little difference but even a little can go a long way. Any way you take it, in the end, we all have our individual shortcomings and it helps nothing if we do nothing but be bitter at each other over political inclination.
By Vami on Nov 13, 2007 | Reply
Mani,I agree with you here. I was hoping for change as well but as you said, Trinidad still votes along racial lines. I could read the disappointment you feel in between your lines. One must be really deluded to think that people voted for anything else other than race and skin color in this elections.
By Anonymous on Nov 13, 2007 | Reply
Contrary to what you believe, there are many young people who gave their vote to the PNM, who’s decision was NOT based on race.
It saddens me that people think that once a person has voted for either the PNM or the UNC that they have voted based on race, or tribal voting.
By Mani on Nov 13, 2007 | Reply
Well thank you Kerry, I appreciate it very much.
Anonymous 9:35, my auntie’s statements are on blast, not my auntie.
Bandwagonist, I truly believe COP voters do not think about ethnicity. Boy, how you know I wasn’t there? Nah, but I really wasn’t, I wanted to come but I had other commitments.
Lilandra, that’s the thing, no party owns my vote, not even the COP. I voted based on the issues COP presented.
Thnks Anonymous 2:37 PM, you gave me a lot to read.
Vami, I am very disappointed, but I am to some extent satisfied that we are not as much a minority as we would think.
Anonymous, I think that race is such a powerful think that it screws up your ability to rationalize to the extent where you dodge, substitute and evade – anything to avoid your conscience. For instance all the young people spouting that rising crime is “a global issue”. Can you comprehend the uproar there would have been had we had an Indian Prime Minister, Minister of National and Police Commissioner. Imagine all these black youths dying in the ghetto and these Indian heads saying that “rising crime is a global issue”. Can you imagine the uproar and the protest these same people spouting this ridiculous statement would engage in? It amazes me that the Minister of National Security and the PM spout this and all the sheep accept it.
If you want to say that young people voted on the PNM for issues other than race you are entitled to your opinion, but I think you would be hard pressed to prove that.
I think you are being incredibly dishonest.
By ed on Nov 13, 2007 | Reply
Mani, I don;t think that’s entirely fair. Obviously most people probably voted based on race (including a minority of COP members, most likely), but people have all sorts of reasons for voting the way they do. Bear in mind that the PNM has thrown a *LOT* of money around; you can’t do that and not swing some votes. I don’t even mean corruption, btw – I just mean in terms of big tax cuts, all the spending on projects, etc. A lot of PNM voters probably did so to keep the money flowing.
Nonetheless, you’re certainly right that MOST people voted on race, and that that is very worrying.
And you’re not alone with the being embarassed by family members who should know better. I have an entire side of the family who all have post-grad degrees, and still slip into “dem indian” talk. But you went to school up here, so I’m sure you met some educated racists then as well. It’s not just Trinidad.
By Anonymous on Nov 13, 2007 | Reply
All yuh lost now stop saying if ah wuddah if a cuddah, the fact of the matter is PNM won and UNC is the opposition,that is what we have.
When everyone was saying this is how it was going to end up it they did not come together, the COP believed that they winning all and this is what they fed their supporters, well they lost all not one seat did they gain.
It would of been such a great thing to have UNC/COP in the house be it as government or opposition but because of ego we have 5 more years of the PNM. No one wanted to look at the bigger picture especilly the COP that is why they have been banished to the political dustbin to look on and talk nonsense for the next 5 year with the hope that people will not lose interest in them.
By Jonathan on Nov 13, 2007 | Reply
Mani,
On what basis are you calling Anonymous dishonest? If they say their vote for the PNM was not based on race, how can you claim otherwise?
What of the persons not of African descent who voted for the PNM? Or the persons not of Indian descent who voted for the UNC? On what basis did they vote for the party?
And how can you know that COP voters don’t think of ethnicity?
All the people who vote for a party are not of one mindset. This is not to discount ethnic voting, but voting patterns aren’t as simplistic as many people make them out to be.
Winston Dookeran’s assertion in his concession speech that the country isn’t ready for change showed that he does not understand this. Roughly half of the electorate did not vote for the PNM or the UNC; the fact that the COP is not the government today shows that they COP isn’t the change the people want.
By Jill on Nov 13, 2007 | Reply
mani, your aunt’s comment reminds me of the discussions me and my dad have had over PMN vs. COP… he said he’d never vote UNC A, but PNM was better than COP (stating various reasons none of which i cannot remember) but hopefully with the changing times, we will see more politically smart youth voting the next time around..
i agree race is a strong contender for voters, not all, but enough to keep us PNM for another 5 years.. I never understood all the race issues anyway, I am so proud to be mixed – and even prouder of the diversity each race in Trinidad provides !
By Anonymous on Nov 14, 2007 | Reply
IS this passa passa ruining de youth minds
By Trini Down Under on Nov 14, 2007 | Reply
Don’t forget:
“Democracy, finally, rests on a higher power than Parliament. It rests on an informed and cultivated and alert public opinion. The Members of Parliament are only representatives of the citizens. They cannot represent apathy and indifference. They can play the part allotted to them only if they represent intelligence and public spiritness.” – EW
Mani, these rich words, and the speech which embodies them, belong to all of us. Somewhere, along the road to here, everyone lost his way. And Dorothy still has to wait.
By Shivonne on Nov 15, 2007 | Reply
I’m gonna have to agree with you Mani on that last point. I’ve heard people give incredibly rational justifications for voting UNC and PNM (GATE, crime etc)that had nothing to do with race but their whole story tends to crumble if you try to ask them any questions. They tend to get flustered and defensive and you realise the emotional tie that they have to their party. Those entities mean so much more to people than governance and yeah it has much to do with race and all the psychological stuff that accompanies that. The parties capitalise on such feelings and perpetuate them…anyone remember the elections 5 years ago? The race thing was very palpable then (thieving Indians etc).
The COP supporters I have met tend to have a less emotional and more cerebral connection to that party and are more willing to discuss and debate. It’s easier for them i suppose because they’re dealing with more abstract concepts like fairness, integrity etc rather than tribal feelings that the person holding them may not even be entirely conscious of.
I went to the COP Thanksgiving last Sunday and spent most of the time taking pics and talking to people. The attitude of most that I spoke to was so refreshing. Their support seemed to be not of a party but of an idea/ideas. One UWI student told me that people who voted COP don’t really care about a name so it could’ve been another leader, another entity(and could be in the future)…the principle was what was important. And the principle seemed to be moving forward – progress in short. I stood and listened as youths who were members of the Hindu Students Union (I think that’s the name) told me about their dismay with the racial division that keeps us stuck as a society at a certain level. Of course there were those who displayed clannish behaviour as well, inevitable in any sort of mass movement. These persons talked about the supporters of the other parties as illiterate, blind fools and saw themselves as sort of an elite group, albeit based on thinking skills and not race.
By Anonymous on Nov 15, 2007 | Reply
i dont think people voted based on race and religion. look at the unc and the cop, a mix of people, different races. i felt like pnm won because people indeed voted for issues. so i felt like that what u said was a ridiculous thing to say.
By JohnBoy on Nov 16, 2007 | Reply
Well Mani before I pass any remarks, let mih see if I get this straight. If ya vote for PNM, ya lost, have no idea about anything because ya didnt vote on ‘the issues’! Ya also a racist cuz ya vote for PNM or UNC-A. Is only COP voters see tha shining light! Is that the sum of your opinion? Oh btw ya hear bout de gruesome murder whey de man gouge out de youth man eyes? Dat PNM govt again eh?
By nandi23 on Nov 16, 2007 | Reply
At least you were one of the few with balls to use your power to vote to try and get change. Good job mani!
By D Trini in Me on Nov 17, 2007 | Reply
And we wait another 5 years, and if COP is still around maybe then the majority of the ppl would wake up and see its not base on race to run a country, but on integrity, honesty, and love for their country to move forward in the right direction.
By Anonymous on Nov 18, 2007 | Reply
Pure Cocoa Joy asks of Shivonne:
Aside from the “youths who were members of the Hindu Student Union,” who were the other groups in attendance?
Trinidad and Tobago has always had a problem with its two largest racial communities and both groups tightly embrace each to their own when it comes to governing the State.
Dr. Eric Wiliams did as much as he could for his country and so many have since held to their own versions of what he taught,that T & T reminds me of these store-front christian churches who seem to be able to find adherents whenever they open their mouths – the original message lost in new interpretations and promises.
By isme on Nov 20, 2007 | Reply
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/18/magazine/18wwln-medium-t.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1
By Kerry M on Nov 21, 2007 | Reply
It is very difficult to prove that voting was largely be based on race, but I think that it has to have been a major factor! What other reason could there have been to vote PNM or UNC?
The management of the National economy sucked massively over the last 5 years!! Look at how T&T’s international business competitive rating (and sub-compnents)nose-dived from a score of 34 (out of 130 countries)in ‘02 to that of 84 in ‘07! I would encourage those who truly did not vote race, to find the documentation or website and review the numbers. It is eye-opening!
It is an interesting assessment and when you really get down to it, in that it does represent an unbiased look at the Gov’t’s performance over the period.
Those who disagree and point to positives in the economy over the last 5 years, also have to consider that oil prices rose from about $70 to almost $100 per barrel! How could there not have been positives? What they should be asking is “how much of the windfall was squandered?” Patrick, Enil, Stewart or the PNM will not answer this question any time soon, so we have to rely on the outide experts if we really want the “truth”.
Back to the point though,the only way that race-voing may reduce, is if there is a repeat of the 1986 oil price collapse, and a repeat of hard times that brought. Even then, by the time the PNM progresses its programs of marginal housing, and the constituency boundary shifts, the ability to truly effect political change by the ballot may be completely usurped!
By the way, keep up the good work Mani!!