Where are we heading?

Steve Lyston, Contributor

With regard to the recent statement made by former Prime Minister the Honourable P.J. Patterson about the lack of interest being shown by the youth and other individuals towards politics, this issue has been one of great concern for many of us. However, before we begin making efforts to encourage our young people to enter this institution, we will first need to restore its honour.

It would be more honourable for the 'most honourable' to drive the initiative on a bipartisan basis rather than leaning to a particular party, for the good of the nation. Recruiting in the current political environment on either side will only continue to worsen the state of things.

It is better for all the retired political veterans to come together, form an institution similar to the Joint Trade Union organisation and put together courses that train them in areas relevant to the politics of the nation, including values and attitudes, serving and the sacrifices involved, truth and integrity, morals, family and politics, media and churches, humility in public service, and so on. Further to this, it is a must for the upcoming politicians and present ones, too, to revisit the words of the national anthem and be guided by them. For example, where it says "Guide us with Thy mighty hand ..."; do the politicians believe these words, and do they practise it?

What Turns The People Off

The general perceptions of the people regarding politicians is that they:

Lack of good morals within the political arena

High-level of mistrust among the politicians.

Show wanton disrespect for each other, themselves and the people.

They don't keep their promises.

Politicians have proven repeatedly that they have no genuine interest in the poor nor do they genuinely have the best interest of the nation at heart.

Older politicians often conspire with each other to keep out (or down), the young, bright minds that have positive ideas for the betterment of the nation.

There is great hypocrisy and double standard among the politicians. The face they show publicly is not the same they reveal privately. Some pretend to hate each other; when privately they are either related or are very good friends. The rest pretend to like each other while they try to destroy each other, and vindictiveness is the order of the day.

Many of the politicians hide behind the law and some use the law to cover up issues. Many of them never usually admit they are wrong; nor do they take the blame for anything they have done wrong. Further to that, many of them twist and flip words in order to manipulate the people or opponent.

Further to this:

There are not many role models to emulate.

The young people are not going to be so willing to dip into their own pockets to help someone in the community. Society has taught them to be less giving.

They are not willing to tolerate poor security for their families; neither will they tolerate the abuse of their families by media.

They are not willing to put their personal life up for public scrutiny on a daily basis.

The selection process turns them off. Candidates are selected to win an election, not to serve the people.

Turning The Political Climate Around

In order to attract the young people to politics and to make the nation more effective, these are some of the changes that would be necessary.

When there is a change of administration, people should not be removed because of their political choice and affiliation. Builders and good performers need to remain in position for the betterment of the nation. Because of the existing mindset, corruption is rampant, as people will do whatever it takes to keep their jobs!

Politicians must also be clear about who they are and in what they believe. For example, what kind of government system and economic policies are they really supporting? Where do they stand on various policies?

Politicians must ensure that the people they represent are knowledgeable of or being educated about what is at stake when they vote and what they should really focus on in selecting a leader. If that is not done, then the good politicians will always lose.

There are good politicians in the system, but the current political system does not facilitate them coming to the fore for the nation.

The nation's direction must change as it relates to the current political system. Then the right people will be attracted who can take the country in the right direction.

Apostle Steve Lyston is a biblical economics consultant and author of several books, including 'End Time Finance' and 'The New Millionaire'.