Christopher Tufton, Contributor 
Senator Christopher Tufton in Parliament. - Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer
JAMAICA IS in need of a reform agenda which will translate into genuine impact on the lives of the poor an agenda that challenges the status quo, and which does not attempt to protect it and justify it, in areas where it is clearly unjustifiable. To do this would be to further entrench the cynicism which currently exists.
Issues of accountability and transparency and effective constituency representation are critical to this reform agenda.
That agenda must also start with the people. We are here for them. And they should be the focus of our energies. We must re-engage them and restore their confidence in us.
When an MP is elected he must demonstrate his commitment to serving the interest of the people who elected him by submitting a development plan for his constituency.
LOCAL LEVELS
The plan should involve the people, through a series of consultations. We must again begin to engage the people at the local levels as a matter of routine, through the community associations and other civic groups. Give them an opportunity to interact with us and which will facilitate greater understanding and, hopefully, restore some confidence in the process.
But we cannot stop there. In this dispensation, MPs have become hostages of a process that too often gives them authority, but no power to make things happen. This has severely undermined their credibility and the credibility of the institution of Government. This is more an issue if that MP is not a minister, or worse, if he/she is an Opposition member.
We have to move to change that by providing MPs with the resources to implement their plans, through dedicated funds for constituency development. This has been proposed in the past by the Leader of the Opposition and it must be taken seriously by all of us if we hope to restore credibility to the process. There are basic levels of representation that the people should expect.
Understandably, this must be done with appropriate oversight to ensure that transactions are done transparently and with adequate levels of accountability. Again, there are proposals on the table to deal with that. We must move quickly to address this matter.
As outlined in the Clarke Report, the time has come for the people to have access to their elected representatives in a manner that does not intimidate or exclude any member of the community. It is full time that MPs have access to an official constituency office in order to more effectively serve their constituents.
This will not be the office of the political party, but the official office of the elected representative, no matter which party he originates from. Citizens must feel free to visit their elected representative without feeling uncomfortable or be victimised because they have voted for another candidate.
ACCESS TO INFORMATION ACT
The Access to Information Act is a positive development. We must ensure that it is not restricted by redefinitions and bureaucracy or just plain resistance. We should protect it as an important mechanism to expose proceedings at all levels of Government.
The people have a right to know.
The time has come for the proceedings in Parliament to be televised live. Given the technology and ease of access to cable the benefits far outweigh the cost.
Empower the people with information and give them a chance to participate.
Most of these suggestions are not new. They need implementation and reinforcement. We must now act in the interest of preserving the credibility of the institutions of Government. We cannot move forward as a country if the people are not with us. If the process lacks confidence and credibility, it will lack the capacity to motivate the people.
We need a political process that empowers the people and gives greater access to those who they elect as their servants.
Taken from the State of the Nation Debate, February 3, 2006. Senator Dr. Chris Tufton is also a lecturer in the Department of Management Studies, University of the West Indies, Mona.
