The Nature and Nurture of Ethnic-Based Politics

By Stephen Kangal

Any analysis of T&T politics that has evolved in the last 50 years must begin with an appreciation of a core ethnic base that supports each of the two major parties. The Indo- T&T core has traditionally supported firstly, the PDP followed by the DLP, SDLP, the ULF, the NAR and now the UNC. The core rural support group is the same- only the names and labels of the political vehicles have changed. Indian leaders have in fact been political hawkers using the expanding ethnic base to sell their political goods and reap in huge personal benefit returns without commensurate rewards being realised by the governed.
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