Politicians are chosen to look after the welfare of society not their personal benefit

Nov 28, 2010 Letters

Dear Editor,
I applaud Peeping Tom for a wonderful commentary, “Who is the master and who is the servant?” (Kaieteur News, November 21), exposing political arrogance.
Unfortunately, all over the globe, especially in Third World societies, politicians behave as though they have been chosen to lord over others, neglecting and or abusing the people who voted (hired) them.
Even communists and self described labourites, as in India, Italy, and other countries, behave arrogantly with some caught putting their hands in the cookie jar. The media has a mandatory role in exposing corruption and voters should fire bad politicians.
Not all politicians are bad. Even in Guyana, where voters complain about politicians, there are some decent ones. People told me the bad ones should be fired regardless of their party affiliation.
In developed countries, voters are becoming smart “throwing the bums out”. In fact, last May in England, voters dumped a sleuth of arrogant politicians.
In the US earlier this month, a large number of incumbents were shown the stables for going back on their promises to the electorate. In Trinidad, the electorate sent packing the arrogant incumbents last May and July. And in St. Vincent on December 15, some more arrogant politicians are likely to be shown the door.
When politicians govern credibly and treat people with respect, they get rewarded.
Earlier this year, I was in India where politicians take “lording over voters” to a fine art. People told me they would re-elect the incumbents in Bihar, but would fire the incumbent communists in Bengal and Kerala as well as the ruling party in the Madrassi state of Tamil Nadu, because of their arrogant and corrupt ways.
The JDU and BJP incumbents in Bihar, where a third of Indo-Guyanese trace their roots, have become a model for governance in India winning a three quarters majority in election results recently, wiping out the corrupt and those who appeal to narrow partisan interests.
Even nationally, voters are turning against the incumbent Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who himself is not corrupt, but who is surrounded by some of the most crooked and corrupt politicians in the country.
Manmohan’s government has been exposed in what is the largest financial scandal in India known as the 2G Spectrum telecom bids involving some US$60 billion. He can’t get rid of the corrupt because he needs their support to remain in office, but he has shown his distaste of corruption by sacking a few low level Ministers who have been publicly exposed.
Politicians are chosen to look after the welfare of society not their personal welfare.
Unfortunately, too many politicians in almost every society use their office for personal enrichment rather than improving the welfare of all. Voters should rebel against them.
The media should expose them and hold them accountable when voters are too weak to bring them to book. The media needs to promote good governance and those decent politicians who offer hope for the future.
Thanks Peeping Tom for reminding the nation that elected politicians are servants of the people and are answerable to them.
Hopefully, politicians would begin to show respect for their masters, the electorate, to whom every penny in the treasury belongs.
Vishnu Bisram

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