Glory Seeking

Another Parliament meeting on GEBE is scheduled for Thursday. The suggestion made by former MP Rolando Brison is therefore timely. At this stage, everyone has had their say and everyone is pulling in different directions.

He asked: why not a different approach? Why not put away the cameras, close the doors, and meet as one? Why not speak plainly, without the theatrics, and search for one unified way forward.

Because at this point, only the people can win, if their leaders decide to stop performing for them and start working for them. Soundbites and short videos don’t reconnect households, and political sparring doesn’t ease the crushing weight of GEBE bills.

So, we must ask ourselves: if Thursday’s meeting ends like all the others, what was gained? More speeches? More accusations? Or will there finally be something tangible for the people to hold on to? Based on history, all we can do is wait with bated breath.

On the issue of GEBE, government after government has failed. Parliament after Parliament has failed. Opposition and coalition alike have failed. Brison himself admitted it plainly: everyone, including him, has been unable to resolve GEBE. No matter what you did, or how hard you tried, you failed. The very fact that we are where we are today is an indictment of your failure.

But we move on.

Why not risk humility instead of glory? Why not lock the doors, leave the cameras outside, and emerge only when there is a single, shared plan that puts people before politics? Isn’t it glorious to be able to say 𝘸𝘦 did it for our people? Call it the GEBE Conclave. When you have a way forward, open a window and let loose the white smoke and doves.

We digress.

Another former MP, Christopher Emmanuel, probably said it best on Sunday: “𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘴 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘎𝘌𝘉𝘌, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩 𝘣𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘻𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘤 𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘯.”

.....And personal glory seeking will not change that one iota.

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