Do politicians really care

DOES that rhetorical question sound too cynical? Sadly, the evidence supports it.

We like to think that politicians care about what their constituents want. And they want you to think that they listen, so they ask for your suggestions and for about 15 minutes you are elated and flying high because you feel you are a productive part of the system that is genuinely and passionately interested in improving the quality of lives of the people.

If voters have certain views about — say improving education — we assume that the decisions of the Government will be shaped, or at least influenced, by those views if those views make sense.

To a large extent, democracy depends on this assumption: The beliefs of voters should be reflected, however imperfectly, in the leaders they elect.

But there is reason to question this assumption.

It is easy to think of issues where the consensus of public opinion has provoked little legislative action.

How much do legislators really care about the views of their constituents?

My opinion based on personal experience is — not at all

Over the past two years, I have written to the Ministry of Education and offered them many suggestions as I am deeply distressed about the quality of education which is reflected in the deteriorating calibre of the students that come out of high schools (or colleges as they are called in Fiji. I have yet to get an answer from the ministry or anyone for that matter as to why they are called colleges).

What I observe should alarm all Fijians. An overwhelming majority of legislators were uninterested in learning about their constituents’ views.

Yes, they have obligatory meetings to appease the voters to create the impression that they care.

Even more worrisome is that when the legislators have been talking about these issues for the past decade but domestic violence is increasing and is at 72 per cent, I believe the standard of education is declining, I believe the LTA laws are too weak to be an effective deterrent in reducing fatal accidents. I believe simple and inexpensive actions are not taken to improve the cleanliness of hospitals and the attitude of the staff, the absence of white lines on the sides of the Queen’s Rd, the lack of police presence on the highway (cars are routinely driving at over 100kmph). The list goes on and on.

No one wants or expects politicians to march in lock step with their voters.

Politicians are not supposed to mechanically replace their own views with the views of their constituents.

But constituents’ perspectives should carry considerable weight.

My experiences over the past few years suggest that for most politicians, voters’ views carry almost no weight at all.

ARVIND MANI

Nadi