And Still I Rise

It seems like Caribbean politicians with the last name Mitchell are adept at  sweeping the polls. In 1989, St Vincent and the Grenadines' James Mitchell led his New Democratic Party to an emphatic 15 nil win. Ten years later Grenada's  Dr Keith Mitchell and his NNP party did the same and went one step better by repeating the feat in 2013.When a country goes back to an administration that demitted office under a cloud of corruption charges you know its replacement had to have lost the plot. It seemed as if practically every day there was some report unflattering to the Tillman Thomas administration and they paid the price.

As is to be expected tongues are already wagging about the lack of Parliamentary Opposition. Grenadians stupid-a charge that was undoubtedly directed at Vincentians when the same situation prevailed. Is the electorate really stupid for giving a party all the parliamentary seats? It's a bit of a stretch to call them stupid given that when you cast a vote you really have no clue how the rest of the nation is voting.Nobody knows beforehand that there is going to be a clean sweep. In other words you go in the polling booth and cast a vote for the best candidate/party that suits your mindset. The stupidity is the electoral system we operate under that leaves thousands without a political voice in the Parliamentary Halls. Constitution/Electoral  Reform anyone?