Letter of the Day | Internal elections should be beneficial

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Internal elections can be divisive at times and lead to vexation and grudges, which is human nature in any competition. But if managed in the correct manner, internal elections can make an organisation more efficient, effective and impactful than it was before.

Even though internal elections are not as high profile as general elections, they are just as important. Internal elections should be used to highlight the candidates’ approach to leadership and governance. The campaigns should be based on the candidates’ plans to improve the organisation and why they are the better person to implement those plans.

The reason for internal elections is to make the organisation stronger than before; but currently, we are seeing the opposite. After internal selections, in most cases, the party is weaker than it was before, with many wounds to heal. The People’s National Party can be used as an example – after every internal election, the party gets weaker and more divided than it was before, and by the looks of it, the upcoming selection will be no different.

I was expecting to hear what each candidate would have done had they been the leader for the last election, and how they plan to rebuild for the future. Based on assessment and analysis by party supporters and independent observers, the party knows what it needs to improve on. The major issues have been funding, unity, communication and modernisation/renewal. Both candidates are aware of the issues and we hear them mentioning them from time to time, but there has not been a detailed plan by each candidate showing how they will address these issues if they are selected.

The campaigns should not even have started without each candidate preparing a plan/manifesto, outlining the issues the party is facing and how they intend to address it. The campaigns should be focused on the plans of the candidates; each candidate should be using every opportunity they get to preach their plans to the people. In this case, the election would be centred on ideas and plans instead of people.

IDEAS AND PHILOSOPHIES

When campaigns are focused on people, it is almost impossible to avoid smear campaigns, attacks and quarrels. Without the presentations of ideas, candidates are forced to focus on their personalities, which will eventually lead to attacking the characteristics of their opponent in order to appear as the superior person.

When candidates set the tone of an election by presenting ideas, this will lead supporters to argue on the basis of ideas, instead of personalities. This will lead to less animosity in elections, and an easier and smoother unification process. It is easier to get over an argument in which someone’s idea was opposed to yours, than it is to get over an argument in which an individual attacked your character.

Can you imagine how impactful it would be to have delegates and supporters of the party arguing about ideas and philosophies instead of arguing about candidates’ personal lives?

GARTH THOMPSON