LAST WEEK an official of the Cayman Islands complained about our style of politics. It was most uncomplimentary, as he described it as the worst and most violent in the region. The sad fact is that instead of being affronted, we have to shake our heads and agree with his sentiments since it is a fact that Jamaican politics encourages almshouse behaviour.
This week saw the end of another long and murderous election campaign (don't tell me that 2002 was one of the most peaceful, given the deaths of several persons, or try to compare it relative to 1980); as while our politicians proclaim peace, the reality is that they are content to split the country up into pieces, with their garrison constituencies, garrison behaviour and tribal party colours.
In the quest to attain Gordon House, I pick up the feeling that as long as they win their individual seat, it does not matter if their party loses (although a party win would be the bonus) and the country loses.
In spite of the rhetoric about far more educated voters and new access to more media, the campaigns were characterised by negative campaigning, with their youth arms at the head of the nastiness, as seen by their sponsored ads. On the road, their motorcades and meetings disrupted production, especially when done on week-days, at a time when productivity should be paramount.
General elections in Jamaica create scares about what colours one must avoid wearing; force persons to change their normal travelling routes, disrupt schools and create a climate of fear in many school-children (ask how many parents sent their children to school between October 15 and 17) This is when each party claims to have made education their top priority. On top of this they damage the expensively-acquired JUTC buses, when used to transport political 'lumpen' to meetings (via stone-throwing).
It cannot be merely reiterating the obvious that there were repeated calls for a peaceful campaign prior to and during the election campaign. This has had to be endorsed by foreign diplomats, the Shipping Association of Jamaica, the Jamaica Council of Churches, the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica, editorial endorsements for peace, and lead hoteliers Issa and Stewart.
With aged leaders; reluctance to declare financial assets (I don't buy into the eleventh hour declaration by the PNP leader, as it was clearly intended to embarrass the JLP leader) despite the Integrity Act; outright rejection of any voter recall provision; and refusal to consider Constituency mandates (as proposed by the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce and various homecoming groups), is it any wonder that we are tagged as dangerous during politics.
In Europe at this time there is concern over racism in football, to address it in England, they had to hold clubs responsible. Something like that has to be done to curb behaviour in Jamaica, to restore civility to the process.
