Service above self

Edmond Campbell, Senior Staff Reporter

AFTER ETCHING two significant firsts in the annals of Jamaica's political history, a quiet, shy and modest Enid Bennett, CD, at 81 years old still finds time to contribute, behind the scenes, to Jamaica's political system.

When The Gleaner visited Bennett at the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) headquarters on Belmont Road in New Kingston last week, the retired politician was sitting at her desk answering calls and providing advice.

During the interview, she told us that she was now serving temporarily at the JLP nerve centre.

A stalwart in Jamaica's political history, Bennett holds the record as the first female to be elected consecutively to the House of Representatives for three decades. She also has the enviable record of being the first female in any political party in independent Jamaica to be elected deputy leader. She outpaced her worthy opponent Pearnel Charles in 1978 when she was elected deputy leader of the JLP.

Bennett tells the story of how Charles was shocked at the defeat because while he was busy talking about what he would bring to the table as deputy leader, she was on the ground whipping up support among the delegates.

When Bennett had made the decision to enter representational politics in the 1960s, she recalled former Prime Minister Alexander Bustamante providing sound advice which served as a guiding principle throughout her political career.

"Little girl, I don't want you to win an election only, I want you also to work for the people," she said Bustamante told her.

The unassuming Ms Bennett, who first represented the people of Central St Catherine and later West Central St Catherine, chalked up seven victories at the polls against many formidable opponents, including the People's National Party's Keith Cousins, Enoch Blake and Dr Trevor Dewdney.

Serving her country

From a branch representative to constituency secretary to councillor and then member of parliament, Bennett has spent most of her life serving her country.

Surprisingly, she says it was never her plan to be a politician, considering her quiet demeanour.

Having completed first-, second- and third-year exams, the young Ms Bennett had plans to work with the telegraph service, but was not admitted because the age requirement to enter at that time was 19 years.

She then went to a commercial school and did shorthand and typewriting. Following this, she got a job as secretary to Roy McNeill, an attorney-at-law.

McNeill later went into representational politics and Bennett also doubled up as his constituency secretary.

Fifteen years have elapsed since the veteran politician has retired from representational politics. When asked about her welfare, Bennett admitted that the pension she now receives is nothing to shout about. "In my days, it was like an honorary job because we weren't well paid; your pension is based on your salary."

But what was the magic behind Bennett's outstanding seven consecutive victories at the polls.

She says her constituents loved her because she always makes time to visit them. "Jamaican people love to see their representatives, whether you have anything to give them or not, they want to see you and I always make time to go. It is a big constituency, but this week I would be in one division, the next week at another place." Providing valuable advice, particularly to young parliamentarians, Bennett said: "Don't lie to the people, if you can do it, you do it, but don't make promises that you cannot keep."

Her theme during many successful campaigns was 'I promise service'. Bennett says the state did not have the resources at all times to carry out work in her constituency and as such, she tried to refrain from making promises she could not fulfil.

Notwithstanding the turbulent periods of the 1970s and 1980s when representational politics in Jamaica was characterised by rancour and divisiveness, Bennett says her interaction with politicians on the other side of the political divide was cordial.

Hansard, the official verbatim record of Parliament, showed that Bennett had her moments when she poked fun at her political opponents.

In 1991, the then state minister of agriculture, Desmond Leakey, was making a presentation on issues relating to the environment and forestry. The junior minister in the PNP government digressed from his main presentation and proceeded to tell a story of how his mother showed him a coconut tree when he was a child and told him that his "navel string plant there". He continued: "It was my responsibility to care that tree". But before he could return to the substance of his presentation, Enid Bennett, in a sotto voce comment said: "That must be a dwarf coconut tree." In parliamentary humour, Bennett's witty comment evoked laughter, as Leakey was not among the tallest legislators. When we took Bennett down memory lane reciting the incident to the retired veteran politician, her quiet disposition gave way to a shriek of laughter.

Bennett, a life member of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, represented the Jamaican Parliament on a number of occasions during visits to India, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom, Canada and the Channel Islands, and several Caribbean islands.