Signs of political maturity

Published in the Jamaica Gleaner: Sunday | August 12, 2007

Lambert Brown

Election Day is only 15 days away and if we go by the pollsters, it will be a narrow victory for whoever wins. I hold the view that the winner will have a clear and comfortable working majority.

A month ago, when Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller announced the election date, there were many who believed the time between the announcement and voting day was too long.

These people feared outbreaks of political violence; they doubted the fact that our people are growing more politically mature. Five weeks into the political campaign, any fair assessment would have to reflect that but for a few unfortunate incidents, the overwhelming direction of the campaign has been peaceful.

Tuesday's nomination day was for me another manifestation of the growing political maturity that is showing up among our people. The photo journalists spent much time capturing and promoting the positive scenes of 'friendly rivalry' and the 'parties partying'.

Mature leadership

There is no doubt that, with proper leadership, the great capacity of our people to do right and promote positive values can be enhanced.

The decision by the Prime Minister to declare the week between Emancipation Day and Independence Day as a week of no public campaigning, as well as setting aside August 4 and 5 as days of fasting and prayer showed enormous vision and inspired leadership on her part - a statesmanlike action if ever there was one. The nation over party politics was her stance.

This novel approach to election campaigning has not gone unnoticed regionally. The Opposition Leader's acceptance of the Prime Minister's proposal has demonstrated that our leaders' maturity can be counted on, going forward in making this country a First-World place to live and do business.

We must, as a country, celebrate in this 45th anniversary of our Independence, the stability and successes of our democracy. We must use the signs of this growing political maturity to reassess how we conduct our daily affairs in Jamaica.

The media had a choice in covering nomination day. They could have 'front-paged' and 'headlined' the few acts of violence; instead, they chose to highlight the acts of camaraderie of our citizens, despite the interesting differences of party affiliation.

This type of coverage has impacted our nation positively and I sincerely wish that this approach of accentuating the positive over the negative will continue in the days, months and years to come.

Last Sunday, the Gleaner published a letter written by Carla Seaga explaining the reasons for her husband not being on the campaign trail. I know many persons who were moved to tears after reading that heartfelt letter.

That letter confirmed that, despite being from different political parties, Prime Minister Simpson Miller and former Prime Minister Edward Seaga do share ideas and look out for the best interest of Jamaica.

This example of political maturity, where the interest of Jamaica is placed above petty partisan politics, needs to be emulated and become a way of life among the rank and file of political parties. Vote for whomever you want, but never allow party affiliation to interfere with doing what is good for Jamaica.

Recipe for gridlock

At the time of writing this column, the PNP had not yet put out its manifesto. Certainly, parties must aim to provide the electorates with ample time to study and dissect their plans, policies and programmes. The JLP is ahead of the PNP in this respect.

Having read the JLP's manifesto, I noticed that like Dr. Ken Baugh in the debate with Dr Phillips, they expect to remain in Opposition when the votes are counted on election day. The purpose of government is to govern and get things done. Let the people judge your actions at election time.

What I saw in the Opposition's manifesto is a recipe for gridlock. The Opposition party has proposed that the Government must allow the Opposition to name the chairman of "all sessional and special select committees of Parliament". I know of no country in the world where this takes place.

In the United States, which the JLP loves to copy, if a party wins the election by even one seat, that party chairs all the committees.

I think the JLP has been in Opposition for so long that it is incapable of thinking other than as an Opposition. How else can we explain the granting of veto power to the parliamentary Opposition on so many issues, from the appointment of certain sensitive posts to debt and deficit ceilings?

Tell me, if there is a gridlock when there is a 'fixed date' for election, how we resolve fundamental issues if we can't call elections?

Tell me, if a party has 50 of the 60 seats in the House of Representatives, but can't convince one member of the Opposition to break ranks and vote with them in the Senate, will we be able to pass a budget showing a deficit?

No fundamental differences

Like the numerous and costly promises of the JLP, their proposals on governance are not well thought-out and are, in fact, dysfunctional and inimical to good governance. What is also amazing about the Opposition party's manifesto is the extent to which it endorses so many of the current PNP government programmes.

From tax reform, rural electrification, oil and gas exploration, inner-city housing, expansion of the police force, an increasing civilian role in the Jamaica Constabulary Force, to building a convention centre in Montego Bay, the JLP seems to be "not changing (the) course" of the PNP government.

Because of the late presentation of the PNP manifesto, I am not able to see if they are 'changing course' on any fundamental issue, but I am sure readers will read and dissect it for themselves.

My prayer is for the nation to maintain and nurture the growing signs of political maturity. May the people and Jamaica be the real winners on election day.

Lambert Brown is president of the University and Allied Workers Union and may be contacted at labpoyh@yahoo.com.