Kristen Gyles | What the ‘turncoats’ tell us

Isn’t it interesting? One can be a diehard member of one political party today, and by tomorrow can be a sworn member of the other. Yet somehow, adherents to either party are always adamant that their party is not only more effective than the other but more closely aligned to some superior set of principles and values. Where do those principles and values go when they cross the aisle over to the other party?

It is easy to forget that politics is nothing more than a career for many – just like medicine, law, sports, education and the like. The difference is that unlike with most other career fields that have entry level requirements, continuous education requirements and job descriptions for specific roles within the field, politics is essentially a free-for-all.

Many of our politicians say they are passionate about national development, and that they care immensely about the direction and future of the country and that this is their primary motivation for entering the political arena. They swear by their respective parties, and say they are ‘socialist’, or they are proponents of ‘free market’, and they lift high the banner of Manley or Bustamante, who they hail as visionaries of their time. Yet, from the lens of the observant Jamaican, there is no difference between those on one side versus those on the other.

GREATER CHANCE OF VICTORY

All it takes for the green mango to ripen into its orange hue is internal party politics and disagreements and all it takes for the socialist to become a little more right-leaning is the lure of a greater chance of victory at the polls.

The latest exhibit is Lawrence Rowe’s transition to the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP). Rowe is the former People’s National Party (PNP) caretaker for the Central Kingston constituency. He was aligned to the PNP for several years until things turned sour when the party decided to replace him with another candidate. The party’s withdrawal of Rowe as their candidate resulted in a nasty and acrimonious public dispute. Now, Rowe is a changed man. When journalists spoke with him recently, he was able to articulate quite well how unemployment and poverty are ‘on the low’ and how we have got nine years of no new taxes. Now he says the country is heading in the right direction. How long did he know this though?

Jamaicans following the developments in the ‘Lawrence vs the PNP’ saga can see that Rowe is still grieving the loss of his place in the party. According to him he has some liberty to take with the PNP and he is going to do it in Central Kingston when his political campaign is launched. He told journalists that “… they took some liberty with me down there, and I am going to deal with them properly.”

How did Jamaica get caught up in this nonsense? The PNP may have dealt badly with Rowe, and for that, many Jamaicans are rightly sorrowful. But surely, it cannot be that Rowe has moved into the JLP simply to give his ‘enemies’ a taste of revenge. It sounds like it.

Rowe is not the only one in this position. Craig Oates and Kenroy Calame are two former PNP members who have also transitioned into the JLP within the past days. Oates had wanted to represent the PNP in the Eastern Hanover constituency but was refused and Calame had wanted to represent the party in the Cauldwell division. Oates said he switched because the PNP tried to mar his character and reputation and that the party wasn’t treating him well. So now, he ‘chooses Jamaica’. At the same time, Christopher French, former PNP representative for the Alexandria division in South West St Ann, has also joined the JLP.

SELF-PRESERVATION

It is okay to have a change of heart or opinion. After all, growth ought to be inevitable in one’s life. However, political turncoats do not move on because of ‘growth’. They move on out of a desire for self-preservation. When one chooses a career in teaching and they find work in a school with a principal who does not like them, they switch schools. When one chooses a career in nursing and they find work in a clinic with a head nurse who does not favour them, they switch clinics. When one chooses a career in politics and they find work in a political party with a party leader or party stalwarts who they can’t get along with, they switch parties. Nothing strange.

This is also not a phenomenon specific to the upcoming election. In 2024, Councillor Romaine Morris defected to the PNP. In 2023, it was Venesha Phillips, who switched to the JLP. In 2022, William Cytall turned to the PNP while serving as councillor. In 2020, it was Kari Douglas joining the JLP. These are just a few of the more recent cases.

And all this raises an important question. Why is it okay for a politician elected on either a green or orange ticket to switch course halfway through an election cycle to represent the opposing party? Some politicians have lost the plot. They believe the average voter leaves their home on election day to vote for them because of their warmth, charisma and personal charm. Not really. When the average Jamaican votes, they vote because they want power to rest with a specific political party. For many voters, it really is not about the individual. So, the political hopscotching really ought to be limited to those who have not already been elected.

Either way, the fluid movement of candidates between parties shows us that the façade of party allegiance is just that – a charade. A position in parliament as member of parliament pays over $14 million per annum and everyone has to maximise their chance of getting a seat. If that means switching schools or clinics, then so be it!

Kristen Gyles is a free-thinking public affairs opinionator. Send feedback to kristengyles@gmail.com and columns@gleanerjm.com