An Ope-Ed by Audley Astwood
The recent ruling by High Court judge Justice Chris Selochan to allow the People's Democratic Movement (PDM) to proceed with parts of their election petition has stirred the political waters in Turks and Caicos Islands.
While the judge rightly dismissed the baseless claims of corruption and bribery, he has given the green light for a trial focusing on alleged ballot and mechanical voting issues. On the surface, this may seem like a routine legal process. But let’s be honest—this is not good for Turks and Caicos. Not now. Not like this.
Let’s call it what it is: a distraction wrapped in legal procedure.
Think about this—at a time when our country needs unity, investment confidence, and focused leadership, the PDM is choosing to cast doubt on the very electoral process that voters engaged in freely and fairly. This petition isn’t about justice. It’s about political survival.
The judge’s ruling to dismiss the bribery and corruption claims—claims that PDM loudly touted in the media—should have been a moment of reflection. If you can't name names or back your accusations with solid facts, maybe it's time to ask yourself what you’re really doing. The answer? Chasing headlines, not justice.
But now, this half-petition limps forward. And with it, we risk something far greater than a few courtroom days—we risk undermining public trust in our democratic institutions.
Believe it or not but elections aren't perfect anywhere. Mechanical issues happen. But we must weigh the scale. Were there issues significant enough to change the outcome? Or is this a case of sour grapes from a party that couldn’t win at the polls and is now hoping to win in court?
This is the real danger: the PDM’s case, even if ultimately unsuccessful, feeds a narrative that our electoral system is broken. And guess who’s watching? Investors. International partners. Citizens already struggling with trust in institutions. When opposition leaders drag the country through drawn-out litigation without strong evidence, they send a message to the world that TCI’s political climate is unstable.
And let’s not forget the cost—not just financial, but emotional and institutional. Legal battles like these drain public resources. It's a distraction to public servants. Not to mention, it shifts our collective energy away from solving real problems. Remember little things like cost of living, crime, healthcare, education, economic diversification?
We need to ask a simple question: who benefits from this? Not the people. Not democracy. Just a political party trying to stay relevant.
It’s time for PDM to stop relitigating their defeat and start doing the real work of an opposition—offering solutions, holding government accountable through facts, not fiction, and rebuilding trust with the people who rejected them at the ballot box.
TCI deserves better. We deserve a political climate that moves forward, not one stuck in a courtroom trying to rewrite an election that’s already been decided by the people. The Progressive National Party has a mandate to govern. Let them govern. Let’s get back to building, not bickering.
And to the voters watching this unfold—don’t be fooled. A courtroom is not where democracy is tested. It's tested at the ballot box. And you already made your choice. How do I know you already made your choice? I found out from the opposition leader when he publicly declared in response to the election results: The people have spoken.
Yet here we are with the opposition leader fighting against the will of TCI voters. Somebody please make this make sense. Until then, PDM’s lawyers will be making a lot of dollars.
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