A Seventh-Day Adventist minister has criticised Trinidad and Tobago’s political culture, saying citizens are served largely on the basis of party allegiance as opposed to genuine need.

Pastor Tony Mapp, president of the Tobago Mission of Seventh-Day Adventists, lamented that politicians in leadership often help citizens "based on the colour of jersey they wear."

“That must not be the focus of people who have come to serve people,” he argued. “It is a thing that troubles me, that for 15 or 20 years you have to fix a little drain, but it will only fix if they know what colour you wearing, or if they know that election is around the corner.

"Something has to be wrong with that. That is why I can’t get into politics. It is just not right.”

Mapp was among several religious leaders who offered prayers on Wednesday at the launch of the Innovative Democratic Alliance’s (IDA’s) headquarters, E&M Building, Scarborough.

The party is led by chair of the Tobago Festivals Commission Dr Denise Tsoiafatt Angus.

Mapp’s chastisement of the country’s political culture came as he challenged Tsoiafatt Angus and the IDA team to provide competent leadership as they seek to represent Tobagonians.

“It don’t make sense that you want to be in it and you only playing around looking like you have the thing in you. but you ain’t got nothing inside of you. You got to spend the time to develop, to know your stuff, know what it means to lead and to meet challenges and surmount them with confidence. You gotta know yourself.”

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