GOLDING'S march to Jamaica House

Jamaica's luckiest politician

Published in the Jamaica Gleaner: Tuesday | September 4, 2007

Garwin Davis, Gleaner Writer

If anything, the victory by the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) in yesterday's general election only serves to reaffirm what some pundits have long been saying: that Bruce Golding is Jamaica's luckiest politician alive today.

After all, who could have predicted that a man who had seemingly lost it all only a few years back is now the holder of the highest office in the land - the country's eighth Prime Minister?

Golding, who was born in 1947, grew up in a political environment. He was only two years old when his father, Tacius Golding, was first elected Member of the House of Representatives for West St. Catherine, a seat which the senior Golding retained for 22 years until his retirement in 1972.

The new Prime Minister remembers fondly the 1967 election when, still a student at the University of the West Indies (UWI), he had to suspend his studies to assist with his father's struggling campaign.

"In an effort to create a new constituency, the Government had made changes to the boundaries of my father's constituency, removing several of his strongholds," said Golding. "I got involved in the campaign and we won by some 878 votes."

Rose Phenomenally

After that, Golding's political fortunes rose phenomenally - some may even say meteorically. In 1969, less than three weeks after completing his final exams at the UWI, Golding was selected as the candidate for West St. Catherine at a special conference of the JLP in that constituency.

He was then only 21 years old. He went on to win that seat in the 1972 election by a majority of 893, becoming at 24, the youngest person ever elected to Parliament. He would also become a key understudy to JLP leader Edward Seaga and one of the main architects behind the party's successful 'deliverance' campaign in 1980, which saw the JLP winning 51 seats to nine for the People's National Party (PNP).

Heir apparent

Along the way, Golding also became a member of the Electoral Advisory Committee (1979-1984), Minister of Construction (1980-1989), and chairman of the JLP (1984-1995).

However, after many years of being seen as the heir apparent to Seaga, Golding would in the 1990s shock his party colleagues by declaring that he felt the need for major reform of the Jamaican political system, including happenings in his own party.

Buoyed by a groundswell of public support, Golding in 1995 resigned from the JLP and helped form the National Democratic Movement (NDM).

The NDM initially made a significant impact on the public and at one stage in 1995 enjoyed 21 per cent support in the Stone polls, marginally behind the PNP, but ahead of the JLP. Support for the NDM was, however, short-lived as that party would fail to win a single seat in the 1997 General Election, including Golding's Central St. Catherine domain.

It would only get worse. In 2001, after an embarrassing showing in the North East St. Ann by-election which saw him stepping down shortly after as leader of the NDM, Golding's political career appeared over. After decades in active politics, Golding, former JLP stalwart, former leader of the NDM, and the man whom many felt had the makings of a future Prime Minister, was in 2001, a king without a country, a man without a home.

In 2002, lady luck would intervene in the life of Jamaica's luckiest politician. Having spent over a year in the political wilderness, he was invited to be the guest speaker at a function put on by Generation 2000 (G2K), the young professionals arm of the JLP. What had tongues wagging, however, was that, for the first time in four years, Golding would be sharing the same stage with Seaga. The fact also that it was an election year, only made it more tantalising.

And Golding did not disappoint. With the seminar being on corruption and knowing fully well that his every word, his every movement, including body language, was being scrutinised, he gave arguably one of the best speeches of his political life. He even showered a few praises on Seaga, thus showing he hadn't lost his mastery of tactfulness.

"I don't hesitate to say that under Mr. Seaga's government, many of the things that are taking place today would not have been possible," Golding said in reference to charges of public corruption. "I speak with some experience when I tell you that he was a constant source of irritation to some ministers."

The speech was earnest, moving, and humorous at times. Even some of Golding's harshest critics were uncharacteristically speechless - no doubt shocked at how well he was received and also at how well he had seized the moment.

Suddenly, the possibility of having Golding on the JLP ticket seemed real, and most important, appeared to have given the party's campaign the much-needed jolt it had desperately been looking for.

Date with destiny

A few weeks later, and just prior to the general election, Golding rejoined the JLP. And in what was the closest election in 30 years, the JLP gave the PNP more than it had bargained for before losing out on a seat count of 34 seats to 26. Golding was credited for the JLP's strong performance and came out of the election in as strong a position as he had ever had in his entire political career.

In 2004, he was elected unopposed as chairman of the JLP, and, following Edward Seaga's resignation he became the new JLP leader later. In 2005, a by-election was called in the Western Kingston constituency where Golding easily defeated the PNP's Bunny Witter and successfully made a return to Gordon House only this time, as Opposition Leader.

Golding and his wife Lorna have three children. He has now finally got his date with destiny.