Numerous individuals have raised their voices in condemnation of what has transpired in the National Assembly during the debate on the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for 2021. We join these persons in their condemnation, and in so doing, we will refrain from naming names and instead focus on the underlying causes of the undesirable behaviour by some of our elected officials. Not all Members of Parliament (MPs) fall into this category, as some have indeed carried themselves in the past in a manner befitting of their status as Honourable Members of the House. The names of the late Desmond Hoyte, the late Winston Murray, David Granger, Rupert Roopnaraine, Dominic Gaskin, and Samuel Hinds readily come to mind.
Lack of direct accountability to the electorate
Prior to 1964, MPs were elected on a constituency basis, meaning that individual members were elected directly by citizens based on geographic representation, or first-past-the-post system of voting, as it is called. About one-third of the countries in the world continue to use this system, mainly English speaking countries. In such a situation, individual MPs are directly accountable to citizens that elected them to office. If they do not carry themselves in a manner consistent with their status, or they do not perform to expectation, they are likely to be replaced in the next round of elections.
