First, members of the Virgin Islands’ ruling party resigned because they did not like their newly elected leader.

Now, in the United Kingdom seven members of the opposition Labour Party have resigned because they don’t agree with the policies of their leader, Jeremy Corbyn. They have formed an independent group, not a party. Similarly we have two independent candidates. Only in our case, if elected, they could be power brokers. Who says we are a backward nation?

 

Farewell speech

The calm, measured farewell speech by our outgoing premier was in stark contrast to the ranting speech immediately afterwards by the preacher who is standing for election.

According to him, God and religion should be in parliament. If he was, surely he would be the top man? (God, I mean). First, he has to be elected. What does it say if God is not elected? I wonder if he has an ordinary talking voice rather than a screaming rant? He would be very popular in the House of Assembly.

All parties seem to be calling on God this week, and, very ungodly, making personal attacks on other candidates and their families. Can’t we ever get rid of the “from here, not from here” argument?

Never fear, a foreign preacher has come in and prophesied which party will win the election, and it’s not his. Apparently she got it wrong last time as well.

Meanwhile, the promises get wilder and wilder as we approach the polls (today is advance polling day for prisoners and pensioners: I leave you to decide which one I am).

 

Increments

Regarding the immediate payment of civil service increments: Perhaps it’s different here but usually one works in a grade with incremental scales and works up to the top based on annual assessments, not automatically. The National Democratic Party boasts that they never laid off any civil servants after the hurricanes. Laudable, maybe, but the service has been overstaffed for years, and should be culled.

 

Other issues

The boasted increase in financial services income seems to have come from increased fees, not increased activity. And suddenly we have money to increase the payroll tax level to $15,000 a year, to add $20 million to the reserve fund, and to introduce an unemployment policy. They say we have received $372 million income in the past year, but have yet to say how much we spent and/or plan to spend this year.

Meanwhile, asphalt is slapped down, making the roads nice and smooth (until it rains), a half-built medical centre is to be “handed over,” and renaming of public facilities is rushed through. And none of this is electioneering! Pull the other leg.

It’s high time there was a cap on election spending: The radio stations must be making a fortune.

Anyway, try and read between the lines. First, vote, and vote for those you think best capable of contributing to our future.

Still waiting to see those 450 medical students: Only a week of February left.