The Editor, Sir:

The recently concluded political leadership debates, hosted by the Jamaica Debates Commission, have served to correct fundamental weaknesses in our political culture and political behaviour.

For too long political leadership aspirants in Jamaica have easily convinced untrained and uneducated minds in order to return to Parliament. These politicians have made a lifetime career out of this fiasco, and this, to the detriment of democracy, good governance, accountability, responsibility, responsiveness, effective government and humandevelopment.

Democracy threat

This threat of democracy has resulted in so-called growing uncommitted electorates; a talk- show industry; brain drain and capacity destruction; a subculture of political dons which parallels the state bureaucracy; and arbitrary, irrelevant and inconsistent public policies and political decisions.

The net social costs of these distortions are huge and rising. The psychological scars are widespread and painful. These are happening while politicians and their cohorts continue to glorify our democratic traditions from the luxury and protection of Parliament.

Thankfully, the Jamaica Debates Commission, through its wisdom and organisational capacity, has intervened, and this intervention, inarguably, is to the long-term benefits of our society. Politicians are now forced to articulate their visions, policies, programmes and projects in a manner that is consistent with the demands and standards of complex and integrated economies. Also, through rigorous and surgical questions, politicians are required to explain their performances and commitments.

The recently concluded political leadership debates have certainly assisted me in making the ultimate determination as to which party I will vote for in the upcoming general election. Congratulations to the Jamaica Debates Commission for an intervention that has the potential to transform Jamaica's political culture and political behaviour. Indeed, they have perfected what others have consistently failed to do.

I am, etc.,

ANTHONY WOODBURN

anthony.woodburn@uwimona.

edu.jm