Political analyst Dr Winford James says political leaders should avoid rhetoric that could deepen racial divisions.He warned that Trinidad and Tobago’s history showed such tensions could have serious consequences.Speaking with the Express yesterday, James said the country’s political leaders had, over decades, failed to adequately address issues surrounding race and national development.However, he said the current political discourse was “unacceptable” and noted that Trinidad and Tobago had lived with two major ethnic groups for more than 70 years.“We know racial discord can lead to racial violence. And this is not the way to go. It solves no problems,” James said.He argued that successive governments had allowed race to influence national decision-making rather than confronting the issue directly.“All the governments from (Dr Eric) Williams come down have not solved the problem on racism,” he said.James suggested the People’s National Movement (PNM) was attempting to consolidate its traditional support after losing office, but said the party would eventually have to appeal beyond its established base if it hoped to return to government.“The PNM are probably thinking that they need to keep their base intact. They believe that some of that base may have slipped away,” he said.However, he noted that demographic and political changes meant parties could no longer rely solely on traditional voting patterns.“People have changed over time, becoming more informed, articulate and eloquent,” he said, adding that political support lost by a party was often difficult to regain.James also criticised the quality of public debate, saying political discussion had not focused on issues capable of improving the lives of citizens.“We look around and we want to see, well certainly I do, what the real issues are that will give the population solace and comfort going forward. But we don’t hear them. We hear shallow pronouncements, rhetoric, and unacceptable jargon on platforms and media,” he said.He argued that political leaders should instead engage in substantive discussions on the country’s challenges and develop practical solutions.“This is not the time for separation, but to come together and look at the content of what we need. We need serious conversations. The time has far come when we need to determine what the actual issues are and how we can go about getting people interested in resolving those issues,” James said.Reflecting on the PNM’s period in government, James said many voters may have concluded that the party had been unable to resolve key national problems despite more than a decade in office.He said both of the country’s major political parties had failed to present convincing programmes to address the country’s challenges.“I see nothing convincing. Both parties have failed on that front,” he said.James warned that Trinidad and Tobago could not afford racial conflict and urged political leaders to pursue policies that encouraged national unity.“This country cannot abide, cannot handle racial violence if and when it does come. Thankfully we are not there, and we have been living together in relative peace for a long time. We should let that continue,” he said.He said maintaining that peace required a clear national agenda centred on development and meaningful change.“But for that to happen we need an agenda of development and change, which is not currently evident,” James said.