We, the Executive of the Anguilla Democratic Party (A.D.P.), are pleased to present our views on the above matter.

The question that is frequently asked by our people who we visit to discuss our candidacy for the next general election is “Do you have in your party people who are mature, educated and who understand politics and can manage the problems of Anguilla?”

Our reply is that the Anguilla Democratic Party is putting together a slate of candidates who are educated, mature and understand how a Government should function.

We do not believe that just because an individual is popular in his/her constituency means that he/she is qualified to manage a ministry. Gone are the days when we select people for political office knowing that they are not capable, but believing that the leader of the party is able to manage all the ministries.

We would like to advise all Anguillians that when considering representatives, one must examine the candidates carefully, giving thought to the following questions:

Is the candidate suitably qualified, or educated enough to sit down with his/her regional counterpart and effectively deal with issues such as health, education, civil aviation, tourism, global warming, finance and economics etc?

How many of the party members are capable of independently managing a ministry?

It makes no sense to have a party of seven candidates and only two are capable of managing a ministry. We are aware that there is a view among some Anguillians that one need not to be educated to manage a ministry and all that is needed is commonsense. Yes, commonsense is needed, but in this complex, and more globalised world than in 1967, commonsense is NOT enough. We would not select a carpenter who had no training in medicine to medically attend our children; so why should we select a candidate who has neither the education nor training in any of the subjects that part of a minister’s portfolio? We believe post secondary education is a must on order to be a Minister of Government.

In the upcoming election, let us put all our candidates to the test.

(a) Let us make sure that they are qualified.
(b) Let us make sure that they have an understanding of basic economic principles.
(c) Let us make sure that they are capable of relating to others.
(d) Let us make sure that they understand the region we live in and our role as partners in regional organizations.
(e) Let us make sure that we can send any of our ministers overseas without fear of being embarrassed by their utterances.
(f) Let us make sure that the candidates are honest.
(g) In addition, let us be skillful in separating facts from rumours and libel and avoiding listening to rumours. (Remember, people always say evil about those who oppose them).

If we can stick to most of the above suggestions, we will select good candidates to manage the Government of Anguilla.

Leroy Rogers, Chairman A.D.P.
Julian R. Harrigan, Executive Secretary
Dennis Fleming, Assistant Secretary

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