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Columns : Trinidad & Tobago's future is good. - Commentary by Steve Alvarez

2009/3/26 12:20:00

While the nation seems to be taken up with Ramjack, the Summit and the Commission of enquiry into the Construction Industry, the government’s performance seems to escape scrutiny.

Our roads are deteriorating, our rivers are not being cleared, many communities are without a regular supply of water and our economy seems to be on auto pilot.

When I look at my fellow politicians they seem to fall into one of three categories. There are those who seek power, those who seek wealth and those who seek to improve the quality of lives of the people of Trinidad &Tobago.

Unfortunately those with our country’s interest at heart are the ones we hear least from. In spite of the lack of media attention, I feel confident that tomorrow will be better for our nation.

Our young people are not sold on the racial divide, or the suggestion that our only choices are PNM or UNC1,2 or A.

The good news for our nation is that our youths and those who look beyond blind loyalty to party will consolidate their support for any party providing a new direction for our nation.

I am confident that our best days are ahead of us. Our people are intelligent and we know that based on the resources available to our government, our towns and villages should not have to wait for an election to get the roads paved, a summit to get our highways beautified or a flood to clean our waterways.

Our citizens know that crime prevention, planned agricultural development and viable alternatives to an oil based economy are all possible with a government dedicated to a better Trinidad &Tobago.

Our challenge however is not an easy one. Colonialism and our early experience of independence have allowed race to be more of a factor in our electoral process than is the norm in many other Caribbean countries with few exceptions.

The positive ray of hope is that recent developments are clearly leading us to see the need for national unity and to depart from the tradition of racial voting.

I take this opportunity to ask our people to continue to pray for our nation as this blessed island paradise will continue to rise in spite of all the political and economic constraints that exist today.

I take this opportunity to wish the Baptist community a happy and holy Spiritual Baptist Liberation holiday.

God Bless Our Nation.

Steve Alvarez Political | Leader of The Democratic Party of Trinidad &Tobago