This Is Jersey

FOR a number of reasons the States elections scheduled for later this year will be the most important since those held in the aftermath of the Second World War.

The elections of 1948 ushered in an era of enhanced democracy and saw the flowering and then the demise of political parties. And just as the post-war polls set the scene for political life in the Island for decades to come, the results of this year’s voting could reshape the way in which the Island is governed.

The factors which make the coming elections such a potential watershed include the fact that 47 out of 53 seats will be contested – provided that there are no walkovers – the extension of the franchise to 16-year-olds, and candidacies backed by political parties and interest groups with very firm ideas on how the Island should be run.

In addition, this year’s elections will unfold against the background of GST, other fiscal reforms and what appears to be a high level of dissatisfaction with the present executive.

The rules of the game mean that a new Council of Ministers will be formed after the votes have been counted and the new House has convened. Well in advance of that, however, Islanders will, for the first time in over half a century, have the chance to radically alter the composition of the States because of the number of seats in play.

This means that the old complaints that a vote in Jersey signifies very little and that individuals have very little power to change the nature of political representation cannot be trotted out. Here is a golden opportunity for the electorate to make a real impact on the way in which they are governed.

With this in mind, anyone who cares about the future of Jersey should register to vote if they are entitled to do so. It goes almost without saying that those registered must also go to the polls and do their democratic duty.

And, crucially, all votes must be used wisely. If this is to happen, voters must take the trouble to find out what candidates stand for and what their political records are if they have already served terms in office.

They must also endeavour to distinguish between hollow rhetoric, demagoguery and shallow populism and the programmes of intent set out by candidates who can show clearly that they genuinely have the interests of all Islanders at heart and that they are of the calibre which Jersey so badly needs among the members of its new-style system of government.

Article posted on 24th July, 2008 - 3.00pm