Friday , March 29 2024

Opinion: Elections should not become a mudslinging contest

Dear Editor,

As the March 18th elections draw nearer as apparent by the posters, stickers and flags around the island I have to ask why does it have to be a mudslinging contest?

A week ago Friday I was enjoying the company of several local friends at an establishment in Windwardside when a strong WIPM party supporter entered the bar carrying the WIPM manifesto. He went off on a tirade about how much the party had done for the people of Saba. Some disagreement was put forward by others when suddenly this individual became quite angry.

I quote ” All you foreigners who are able to vote are nothing but ungrateful. You Columbians, Dominicans, Haitians, Canadians and Americans who came here with nothing and have been given a good life by the WIPM party are now turning their backs on them”. This is the most racist comment I have heard in a long time, there is no place for statements like that on Saba. If this is the position of the WIPM party why would they then want our votes? Is a party with this kind of attitude worthy of governing this island?

He further went on to add that” we must elect this commissioner because this commissioner is not capable of running the island”. So this is the way the WIPM party feel about their own candidates as well?

Keep it clean and fight the election on the issues not on personalities.

Name withheld on request.

Opinion: Saba's government should become more democratic
Opinion about  “Open Skies” with US

2 comments

  1. Thank you for sending this information to this media. Plenty Sabans and non-Sabans read this site daily. By informing the public about incidents where discriminatory remarks are made, it is our duty to publicize them.

    I can not check if the above information is correct or not, but I hope that others can confirm or hopefully dis-confirm the statements made so that we Sabans can give our opinion on what is written here.
    I am therefore asking everyone to come out and voice their opinion on the conversation that took place that night.

    Saba Guru

  2. Rather arrogant to assume that people come here with nothing. Like all countries, if you are going to move there, the immigration department has to see that you are bringing certain skills etc with you, which will benefit said country in question. Therefore, everyone that has moved to Saba has brought something tangibly recognized as a benefit to the island. Whomever stated the aforementioned comments on Friday night sounds nothing more than an arrogant, ignorant, bigoted twaat this is doing no favours for the WIPM party….. or maybe that’s me being an ungrateful Canadian!