The importance of voting

On the eve of the general election, opinion polls and individual views vie for public attention. Amid the mix of pros and cons, an unusual course is voiced on the page opposite, as a cleric, the Rev. Renaldo McKenzie, declaring dissatisfaction with the political system, says he will not vote.

This stance runs counter to the usual exhortation that there is a civic duty to exercise your franchise as an important aspect of how democracy works. In his Letter of the Day, the Rev. McKenzie examines what he sees as a perversion of the principle that elected members of the legislature should represent the interests of their constituents rather than show a prior concern for their political parties.

On the face of it, the point is well taken, in the sense that all constituents are not members of a political party and thus, their particular interests may be ignored. Taking that scenario to a further conclusion, the fanatical loyalty to party may well be the root of the tribalism that has led to the extremes of political behaviour in much of modern Jamaican history. And the two-party system becomes the basis of factional rivalry rather than a bedrock of multi-party democracy as opposed to a one-party totalitarian system.

At the core of Rev. McKenzie's concerns is the extent to which the people should become involved in the creation of policies and practical interaction with the legislative functions of Parliament. This posture, however, ignores the practical means of achieving such interaction with the functions of elected representatives and their operation of the sittings and committees of the legislative machinery.

They are delegates of the people, but their function has been eroded in many instances, for example, in the emergence of the garrison phenomenon. In effect, an unelected 'don' usurps the role of an ineffective MP for a variety of reasons such as social decay, dysfunctional families and communities, criminal activity, and the like.

The neteffect of these factors has led to the decline of the political system in the ways that apparently prompt some persons to shun political participation, including the duty to vote.

In our view, that is not the way to go. Refusing to vote is a negative response to circumstances that require creative approaches to corrective action. It is more productive to apply pressure at constituency level to the elected representative through local associations and community organisations. Political parties may be seen as just another level of association that must be sensitive to the needs of the people.

We have more sympathy with the views of another cleric writing earlier this month, also in a Letter of the Day on August 27. the Rev. Cyril Clarke, Baptist pastor of Osbourne Store, Clarendon, urged readers to vote with their conscience "with genuine love for your country above love for personalities and parties".

The Rev. Clarke was thereby acknowledging the negatives of politics as practised in Jamaica. But he recognised the urgent point that changing government at intervals was the best way to preserve democracy. And the way to effect that change is to vote.

The opinions on this page, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner. To respond to a Gleaner editorial, email us: editor@gleanerjm.com or fax: 922-6223. Responses should be no longer than 400 words. Not all responses will be published.