Setting:
Madingo Golf Club, on a Thursday late afternoon
Characters:
Hon. Ramdaye, Hon. Basdeo, Hon. Seymour, Hon. Ted
Summary – The Political Strategies
In Act 2 Scene 3 of The Samaritan by John Lara, titled “The Political Strategies,” four politicians—Hon. Ramdaye, Hon. Seymour, Hon. Ted, and later Hon. Basdeo—meet privately at the luxurious Madingo Golf Club. Their mission is to devise a political plan to oust Mayor Mosi through a vote of no confidence.
The scene opens with Ramdaye lamenting the chaos that had erupted during one of their political meetings, describing violent clashes where hooligans disrupted proceedings. Despite the mayhem, the men remain determined to remove the mayor.
Seymour asks Ted whether he had spoken to councillors and aldermen to woo them to their side. Ted reveals he had spent the entire night calling them, but little support was forthcoming. Through his interactions, he discovers four main types of councillors:
- Indecisive types – those who sit on the fence and never take sides, like Hon. Ferreira.
- Headless types – those who follow their ethnic leaders blindly.
- Political entrepreneurs – who vote based on personal gain or bribes.
- Independent-minded members – who genuinely serve the people’s interests.
Realizing they need stronger backing, the men decide to seek the support of Hon. Basdeo, the opposition chief. Ramdaye reveals that Basdeo has already shown interest in collaborating and even suggested forming a coalition in which Seymour becomes mayor and Basdeo his deputy.
When Basdeo arrives, he lays out a manipulative propaganda plan to turn the public against Mayor Mosi. He insists that emotional manipulation, not truth, wins in politics. His plan involves spreading lies that Mosi only develops areas occupied by his own ethnic group and fabricating a mythical origin story to sway the masses.
Ted objects to these deceitful tactics, arguing they are immoral, but Basdeo dismisses him, claiming that “politics is about strategy, not truth.” The group then plans a massive political rally to incite public anger and gain support for their motion. They settle on Wednesday, just before the carnival festivities, to attract huge crowds.
The scene ends with Ramdaye warning them not to underestimate the mayor, while Ted sarcastically calls Basdeo a “master of deceit.” Basdeo proudly admits that deceit is indeed part of politics.