IS SPPF GETTING COLD FEET?
After the Leader of the Opposition called for the dissolution of the National Assembly late last year and for the holding of both Presidential and National Assembly election together the SPPF vehemently protested and voted against the motion. Subsequently, they announced their own group of candidates in a glamorous ceremony which they dubbed the “Winning Team”. However, cracks started to appear when members of the Winning Team started to pull out.
The so-called Winning Team has apparently been afflicted with internal turmoil and strife. The SPPF hierarchy was clearly not sure whether they have secured the best candidates for the imminent parliamentary elections. Seven of the initial candidates have now either pulled out of the race for reasons best known to themselves or have been asked to step aside to make way for more “credible candidates”. It seems that in sheer desperation the SPPF has started to look further a field for potential candidates, picking people who are not even members of the party.
The ones so far chosen are clearly weak candidates and the candidate for Pointe Larue, in particular, leaves a lot to be desired. On the other hand, for President James Michel the National Assembly election is a case of “now or never” as failure to win a majority will spell a sudden death blow to his presidency. In the event that the electorate opt for an opposition majority in the National Assembly, President Michel will definitely have to dissolve the National Assembly and call for early parliamentary and presidential elections; a situation feared by the SPPF.
All indications are that the opposition will win an overwhelming majority in the next parliamentary election if they manage to present a united front. The Opposition has consistently eaten into SPPF support at every single election bringing down their all time high score of 60% to a mere 53% in the last presidential election. The trend is set to continue in the next election as there is general consensus this time around that the SPPF candidates are clearly extremely weak across the board. The electorate has more or less understood the necessity for an Assembly controlled by the opposition to encourage the government of the day to be transparent, accountable and adhere to the principles of good governance; something which the SPPF government has proved itself incapable of to date. An opposition majority in the National Assembly would also ensure checks and balances and put pressure on the President to deliver on his electoral promises.