Let me be blunt about Premier David Eby, the leader of the badly bruised New Democratic Party of BC in the recent election.
He called the October 24 election, a full two years ahead of the next scheduled one.
Why?
Was it a gamble, a political miscalculation or a failed masterstroke?
None of them!
His call for a premature election was, simply put, unethical political opportunism at the expense of democratic fairness.
Mr. Eby made the abhorrent decision when he saw his main opposition was limping with internal pains.
The Conservative Party was embroiled in intense internal fights, rebellions, expulsions of party members, and the formation of splinter groups. The party was almost leaderless.
It was at this fragile and frail moment of his opponent that Mr. Eby decided to roll up his sleeves to knock down the rival.
And this is where his unethical behaviour matters.
The timing of the election therefore raises a legitimate question: Was this an exercise in democratic leadership, or an attempt to turn an opponent’s internal crisis into an electoral opportunity?
Tactical advantage took precedence over democratic responsibility.
Bravely lies in fighting against an equally strong opponent.
But Mr. Eby wanted to cash in on a fight against an opponent weakened by internal divisions.
However, the moment the snap election was announced, the Conservatives put their differences aside. Rebels and expellees began returning to the fold, turning a divided party into a united political force.
It said politics is a dirty game. Mr. Eby played it in that temperament.
But it came back like a boomerang, hitting him and the NDP decisively hard.
The high idealism of socialism gets defaced when unethical, undemocratic practices are used for political gain.
-Promod Puri
Promodpuri.com
