Anguilla Election

The main benefit of democracy is that it provides for a change in government through a system of elections. If this is conducted fairly and without any violence, the people who vote get a government of their choice for a specific term which they can overthrow during the next elections if the performance is not up to expectations. The fact that the ruling government is always competing against the opposition prevents any monopolistic regime and will motivate the ruling party to put its best foot forward in meeting the aspirations of the people.

This automatically brings in a feeling of responsibility and obligation towards the public and they ought to repay the faith the people have reposed in them through good governance. If they are able to do that, the people feel vindicated about their choice and also make their own efforts to contribute towards a better society. That is how a nation makes progress.

Anguilla just went through an election that can best be described as a very intense one. A lot of preparation in training the fifty odd electoral officers, installation of polling booths, putting up the necessary signage at the eighteen polling stations and introducing the indelible ink system to ensure that there is no repeat voting by any individual were all painstakingly done in order to ensure a fair election.

Though the race was a three way one between the AUM, the APP and the AUF, one got a distinct feeling that the AUM had a strategy that was well planned and that showed in the ultimate results. They let loose a battery of lawyers and through radio shows really exposed the poor way the AUF had been running the country.

The AUF thought that they could sail through the elections on the back of their performance over the last ten years. However, the mood of many people with specific reference in the real estate sector was not good and that had a spiraling effect across other industries as well. People generally felt that the economy was not well managed and though the AUF tried to put it down to the global recession, the feeling among people was that it was caused by mismanagement.

Another reason was the campaigning done by the APP which lambasted the AUF policies and committed to do much better if voted to power. Headed by a young leader, it depended on youth votes to gain power. However that was not enough to help it gain seats and it was the AUM which has regained power it lost ten years ago and Hubert Hughes and his team have reasons to feel proud of their achievement.

One other mistake that the AUF did was rejecting the request to celebrate James Ronald Webster’s day as a national holiday. People have still fond memories of this leader and in these difficult times, they did not want anybody insulting him.

Though the youth did come out in greater numbers this time to vote, they too were concentrating more on the future of Anguilla and did not want to credit the AUF with many achievements over the last decade, though this government has developed a good road network system and has made progress in providing water and electricity as well.

But it would appear that the AUF had drifted away from the people and that is what Hubert Hughes and his team will seek to repair. One of his members Mr. Evans is already into it building bridges with people and getting close to them. You can see him with one of the youngest racers – a six year old sitting on his lap.

This government is taking the right steps in trying to revive something that was not encouraged earlier and that will definitely help it gain popularity.

Through this simple gesture, they are trying to tell the people that having got the support, they will definitely try to meet the expectations of the people who have voted for them and will bring in good governance as is expected from a government by the people and for the people.