By Alex Rosaria
The paradox of our elections is this: how is it that the most vulnerable groups – those who most need good governance to help lift them out of dependency and urgent need – continue to vote for the very people who do not stand for good governance?
Good governance means having capable and ethical leaders managing our democracy and democratic institutions. However, not only are many candidates far from being the sharpest tools in the shed, but some also lack integrity.
Yet, the most vulnerable groups are often satisfied with handouts, parties, and rum, entertained by leaders who dance and celebrate as if jumping at their command. They accept it when politicians act as if they are doing the people a favor, when in reality, it is their duty to work for the common good.
They do not question politicians who make empty promises about reopening the refinery, bringing in 1,000 cows, or those who decide how many children a woman of a certain background should have – going as far as forcing the insertion of an IUD into her body.
While Caribbean leaders elsewhere discuss geopolitical shifts, climate crises, gun violence and the well-being of shrinking populations, some politicians in Curaçao continue to enjoy the moral and financial support of the Catholic Church and Christian sects, along with wealthy individuals who have already chosen their future outside of Curaçao.
We, and no one else, are complicit if we continue on this same path – if we fail to educate the vulnerable groups about the consequences of their choices.
~ Alex David Rosaria (53) is a freelance consultant active in Asia and the Pacific. He is a former Member of Parliament, Minister of Economic Affairs, State Secretary of Finance and UN Implementation Officer in Africa and Central America. He is from Curaçao and has an MBA from University of Iowa (USA). ~
