French historian, politician and abolitionist Alexis de Tocqueville wrote in the 1830s: “There are many men of principle in both parties in America, but there is no party of principle.”

It could be argued that this statement is not only timeless but also resonates in every corner of the world, including Bermuda. I would go so far as to suggest that word on the street is that it is hard to find even principled men in our House of Assembly.

Going into this upcoming election, the One Bermuda Alliance has as its track record unanswered questions relating to a $300,000 political donation from a foreign donor with casino interests; the OBA has not produced the 2,000 jobs as promised; it did not tender projects as promised and defiantly ignored the will of the people with respect to the granting of Permanent Resident’s Certificates to guest workers after only 15 years.

On the other hand, the PLP has not distanced itself from its former premier, Ewart Brown, or from sitting Member of Parliament Derrick Burgess, both of whom left us wringing our hands when the global economic crisis affected Bermuda.

The PLP missed the opportunity to express remorse and admittance of error for allowing Dr Brown to complete his tenure. Our Bermuda dollar was close to being devalued because of him.

So to answer the question “Which party to trust, OBA or PLP?”, the opinion most commonly expressed by Bermudians is neither of them. Yet, through this pessimistic cloud, there is a ray of hope. That hope was realised in 1998 when the PLP won power. It was realised again in 2010 when the Bermuda Democratic Alliance was formed — and later transitioned into the One Bermuda Alliance — and finally when the white elitist-run United Bermuda Party dissolved in 2011. Bermudian voters are no pushovers and in 2012 many PLP supporters did not come out to vote, which led to the OBA being elected.

This 2017 election will prove to be exciting and different again, making it almost impossible to predict the outcome. Undoubtedly, the younger generation could tilt the votes, particularly as they tend to be less biased. The under 40-year-old voter will be more apt to compare the platforms and promises of the two parties, be influenced by their employment or non-employment opportunities, home ownership, the economy, passport limitations and government subsidy of sports and scholarships. They will vote for person rather than party.

I will vote for the PLP because I am optimistic that it has learnt its lesson to be fiscally prudent, that it emphatically understands that the annual budget must be balanced and our national debt brought down, not just with austerity measures but also with tax reform. Members of Parliament for the PLP understand the struggles, hopes and dreams of the middle and low-income citizens of this island. They are also professionals and understand the importance of having a good and supportive relationship with international business. To the contrary of OBA propaganda, I am confident that professions such as accounting, insurance and medicine will be given special consideration for longer work permits — ie, four years with one four-year renewal. Perhaps longer for medical workers, especially nurses.

This 2017 election will give the opportunity for the PLP to redeem itself, particularly with public education if they are voted in. The majority of PLP voters send their children to public schools and, therefore, it is only logical that this would be their most significant concern.

One thing I do expect to be addressed by the PLP is its position on elevating women in Bermuda politics and handling internal conflict with better mediation and subtlety.

Whichever political party wins the election, it is to be hoped that the interest of all of Bermuda’s people are placed first and foremost before business, private interests and cronyism.

•Cheryl Pooley is a social commentator and three-times former parliamentary candidate