THE EDITOR, Sir:
YOUR CONTRIBUTOR, Delroy Chuck is absolutely correct: Dr. Omar Davies should resign from the post of Minister of Finance. The first reason is that any minister who engages in such profligate spending does not deserve the confidence of the Jamaican people. Secondly, such a minister does not have the moral authority to pursue and prosecute those in the private sector who, the minister claims, have been just as irresponsible with other people's money.
The third reason is that Omar Davies has been the best prepared Minister of Finance that this country has had. Quite frankly, with his record of cleaning up the financial sector mess and containing inflation, he has been a good minister. But, he should have known better. When you engage in such political spending what you end up with is the stupid monetary policy where 30 per cent interest is offered on short-term Government securities. At the end of the period (five months in this case) there are more Jamaican dollars with nothing else to do but chase the US dollar. Watch the rate go to J$60:US$1 and lower.
Delroy Chuck can assist me personally and the masses of Jamaican people generally in calling for another resignation and that is of Edward Seaga, Leader of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP). Seaga's contribution to Jamaica has been memorable and very significant. He placed Jamaica firmly and unambiguously into the capitalist camp during his 1980s administration. That was a good thing for Jamaica and no one can take that away from him.
As D.K. Duncan had insinuated in a Gleaner interview in the early 1990s, Michael Manley nor none of the other washed-up socialists (my emphasis) could have done that the way Eddie did. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Edward Seaga should go quietly to being the Elder Statesman where he can best serve his party and his country.
Seaga should go for the following reasons:
Seaga can never be Michael Manley in the hearts of the Jamaican people, no matter what his tired ego says. Even if Seaga wins another term as Prime Minister to equal Manley's record, he will never be as loved nor equally revered. It is too late for that.
Seaga's record as JLP Leader is pitiful. No self-respecting chief executive officer of a major public firm in the United States would have the nerve to stick around with such a record. Seaga has not had a positive year since the 1983 fiasco. He has lost every election since 1986 and been Leader of the Opposition since 1989. He is too old (baby notwithstanding) and too much time has been invested in him for us to risk a comeback. There is the Comeback Kid. We don't need a Comeback Grandpa. Since the Board (the executive of the JLP) won't do it, it is time for the shareholders (the masses of Jamaican people who want a strong and effective JLP) to call for Seaga to resign.
The lack of entrepreneurship in the JLP is palpable. The conduct of your politics is feeble. The poverty of ideas is clear. With the current administration languishing in the popularity polls for so long, the JLP cannot muster enough support to win an election. The blame for that must be placed firmly and squarely at the feet of the JLP Leader and he should resign, even if the JLP wins the Local Government elections. To paraphrase Delroy Chuck, the buck stops here.
Seaga's old style politics of "bringing down the Government" instability is exactly the wrong prescription for the future of Jamaican politics and economics. It is an anachronism given the firm place he himself put us in the capitalist camp and the imperatives of a global economy. We need a second opinion and a new doctor. It is very unlikely that the JLP will get to be that doctor anytime soon.
The Maximum Leader culture enshrined in Seaga's refusal to go quietly and voluntarily is exactly the kind of political culture which gives rise to the corruption and mismanagement in government of which much has been said. Ordinarily good men become fat with this corrupting invincibility that they can do and say anything and not be held accountable to the standards of good leadership and good government. This must end if Jamaica is to move forward. It is about accountability. Seaga must go. Davies must go.
Mr. Editor, the JLP is fortunate to have a number of qualified people to take over the leadership of the JLP. Numbered among them are Bruce Golding and Ed Bartlett, whom I consider to be both very sharp individuals. If these gentlemen and their cohorts are afraid to show Seaga the door then it is left up to the G2K generation in conjunction with the masses to show Seaga the exit sign, and with him the whole second-tier of the JLP leadership, Delroy Chuck included.
I am, etc.,
DELLAND BARTLETT, PhD, MBA
delbart@earthlink.net
West Orange state, New Jersey
Via Go-Jamaica
