Jamaica Deserves Better from the Two Evils
I watch everyday as democracy bleeds, succumbing to the blows of ego, manipulation and misappropriation. The sometimes autocratic tendencies of the major political parties, cause me to believe that democracy is at risk. There is an overabundance of foul play being forced on us. So I ask, does Jamaica still enjoy much of a democracy?
‘PM stands by his man’ the headline reads ‘…scandal plagued Wheatley may get a second chance as minister’. What he says goes I guess. He is the PM after-all, but many Jamaicans like myself, find this position to be unacceptable, repulsive even. Why is Andrew Wheatley on the roster still? His suspected crimes preceded those of the former Education Minister, who is currently facing criminal charges. I can’t quite comprehend this selective approach to accountability.
‘Peter prevails as President’ reads another headline. The Phillips camp managed to muster majority support from PNP delegates. But, given the chance, most Jamaicans would line up to cast a no confidence vote against his leadership. The Bunting fever hasn’t quite caught on either, but we need not delve into that. Perhaps if PNP didn’t spend so much time in the mirror, it could manage to mount an effective opposition.
Another headline says ‘US Revokes Visas Of Daryl Vaz, Phillip Paulwell…’ if you know the reasons why, please tell me. Common reasons for the US government to revoke visas include security, criminal, medical, financial or other grounds. We have by now ruled out that either MPs are guilty of overstaying, so what exactly are their crimes? Will we allow them to be re-elected without these answers?
The Players That Be
They say politics is a blood sport, so let’s take a look at the players that be. Unpleasant truths leave little room for euphemism, so the following facts may seem harsh.
The Opposition is led by a cancer fighting stalwart, who doesn’t put up much of a defense. He is 70 years old.
The Security Minister is clearly out of his depth. There is no strategic plan in place and murder rates continue to climb. He is 67 years old.
The Justice Minister manages to find humour in the topic of sexual assault. He is 69 years old.
We recently said farewell to the former Minister of Labour, who battled cancer for some time. She was 65 years old.
The newly appointed Minister of Labour is serving his 20th year beyond retirement age. He is 85 years old.
A new Minister of Education, Youth & Information, has finally been appointed. He is 78 years old.
Have you noticed how many key growth ministries are being under-served? Before this gets mistaken for ageism, I would like to applaud Minister Grange. This 74 years old Minister continues to find creative and innovative ways to serve the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sports.
The PNP has no Leader
The PNP is without a leader. At least, not one that the rest of Jamaica will accept. I am more than happy to thank Peter Phillips for his valuable contributions to nation building over the years, but i’m also quite happy to usher him into retirement.
The PNP has many historic battles caused by failed Leadership planning. Like Phillips, Simpson-Miller was embraced by party delegates, but was not beloved among the rest of Jamaica. Many would agree that Simpson-Miller overstayed her tenure, so imagine the blow to John Public, when she was succeeded by Peter Philips - who’s career ran parallel to her’s.
The JLP Has No Team
Meanwhile, the Jamaica Labour Party has no team. Chris Tufton, their ‘star baller’ is now under attack, with no defense. When was the last time you heard from Audley Shaw? The 68 years old Minister of Industry, Commerce and Agriculture has been missing in action for quite some time. This is most unfortunate because Agriculture is ripe with opportunities for growth, trade, job and wealth creation.
It is increasingly clear that the Prime Minister is low on starting players and his subs are untrained. That could be the only explanation for the recent appointment of Karl Samuda and Mike Henry. It would explain (partially) why he is hell bent on taking Andrew Wheatley back to the polls. It would also explain why former North Central St Catherine candidate Kerensia Morrison, is now being forced on the constituents of North East St. Catherine.
Succession Planning
The lack of succession planning explains why so many government ministers and sitting Members of Parliament are over 60 years old. Both parties fail to implement transition plans and the people of Jamaica suffer for it. One does not automatically become ineffective with age, but the game is rigged with players who are past retirement.
I always wonder why private companies report billions in profit, while governments report billions in debt. Corporations tend to be more careful and strategic in their planning and leadership appointments over the long term. For some reason, politicians seem to Win It then Wing It. Even entry level jobs come with a Job Description. Why is Government any different?
If politicians want to seek inspiration from sports, perhaps they should try the retirement rules. The average lifespan of a professional athlete is ten (10) years and even that feels like too much. Perhaps if we considered fixed terms, then succession planning would be more probable.
Perhaps fresh talent is the change we really need to keep us moving forward. It would be one thing if we didn’t have the talent, but what’s terrible is that poor planning keeps holding us back. Floyd Green and Lisa Hanna seem to be off to a good start, in terms of innovating agribusinesses. Andre Haughton is always raring with ideas on how to formalize and capitalize on the ganja Industry. Matthew Samuda seems to have a keen interest in climate change.
If the Government of Jamaica must be formed by the JLP of the PNP, then the least they can do is be mindful of this responsibility and commit to serving us well. For too long. Jamaica has been under-served by both parties, in many respects. If politics is anything like sports then both teams need a new game plan.
It goes without saying that Jamaica deserves better from the two evils. But while they fail in the country’s governance, lets not fail in governing ourselves. Instead of being Buyers, let us be Builders. Let us build businesses, industries and opportunities. Let us invest in ourselves, families. and communities Let us be the change. Together we can put Jamaica on a sustainable growth path.
We are resilient and resourceful. We are too Powerful to be Powerless.
“As a leader of a mass organization, one must listen to the people.” — Nelson Mandela
