The Opposition is essential to democracy

THE EDITOR; Madam:

Fevers are dangerous, and ‘campaign fever’ can prove fatal to a healthy democracy.

Despite the absence of an election date, ‘campaign fever’ is beginning to take a serious toll on our politicians, the evidence of which lies in the inflammatory rhetoric being spewed across the length and breadth of the island. However, the prime minister’s recent remarks about the uselessness of an opposition is perhaps the most serious and troubling sign of how intensely this fever is raging.

There has been a steady global shift towards autocracy. Even citizens of the United States of America, once viewed as the bastion of democracy, are now fearful of being ensnared by authoritarianism. Just last Saturday, ‘No Kings’ protests, staged in cities across that country, attracted thousands of people in defence of democratic values. Dr Holness’ utterance that Jamaica doesn’t really need an Opposition must therefore be viewed within this larger context.

A robust Opposition is the cornerstone of any democratic society. While the Government may find the Opposition a nuisance, to perpetuate the idea that they are irrelevant or dispensable is both absurd and insidious.

Party stalwarts cannot be entrusted with the responsibility of holding a government accountable. While they may express opposing views in private, they often fall in line with party leadership publicly. Moreover, open dissent carries the real risk of being sidelined, creating a clear conflict of interest. A strong and independent opposition is therefore essential to ensure genuine accountability.

The Office of the Political Ombudsman has been perilously silent in the face of the subversive rhetoric circulating on the campaign trail. Yet, Dr Holness’ remarks cannot be flippantly dismissed. It is therefore up to the Jamaican people to make it clear that we will never accept the philosophy of single-party rule or any attempt to undermine our democracy.

MARIA MUTIDJO