It could be dangerous to be at the annual conference of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) at the National Arena today. Last year a man was shot and killed just offstage in a conflict among the party's own hooligan elements. In the past Labourites attached to the (in)famous Gang of Five were roughed up, thrown out and disbarred by fellow Labourites loyal to the leader. Non-party people deemed critics of the Government could be the subjects of targeted hostility.
An unprecedented danger arises out of the split of the party over 'President' Coke, the Tivoli Gardens and wider Kingston leader, now up for extradition to the United States. The simmering tension inside the party could easily explode into confrontation and violence from any appropriate stimulus. It is hard not to wonder how political tribalism between and within the parties might have contributed to the emergence of Gully and Gaza.
model constituency
The West Kingston bastion, or at least its dominant JLP portions, which the member of parliament and prime minister is amazingly holding up as some sort of model constituency for others to copy, is no longer the monolithic stronghold it was under Eddie Seaga. To put it mildly, successor Bruce has some challenges of access and control. But the greatest danger which the conference might generate is the danger to the rest of the country which might come from stupid political pronouncements as JLP leaders play to the gallery, a gallery which has in it disillusioned, hostile, 'hungry' and desperate Labourites, among others.
The placating propaganda has already begun in the area council's meetings last Sunday. The age-old strategy of uniting the group around confronting a common external enemy, while suppressing the real divisions within has kicked in. The strategy has served political tribalism extremely well in Jamaica.
Many Labourites want to replace Comrades still in key positions in public administration - obviously by bona fide Labourites who deserve a break and who can be relied on to convert the orange-tinged public service to green.
"After two years, we still find people who are radical Opposition Comrades still in key positions. It upsets me every day when I see the television and our man in London (Burchell Whiteman, former PNP general-secretary, MP, and minister), a JLP supporter said to loud cheers during (last Sunday's) meeting of the party's Area Council One in West Kingston", The Gleaner reported in a page 1 story the following morning, 'Bye-bye, Burchell - New UK envoy by January'. There would, of course, be no upset over our (green) man in Washington, Anthony Johnson.
It is not unusual for administrations around the world to appoint distinguished former politicians to diplomatic posts. Country above party is expected and, generally, unless there are radical changes in foreign policy and diplomatic relations, there is no problem. Current JLP General Secretary Karl Samuda, in responding to the upset Labourite, praised Whiteman's stewardship and told party supporters that Prime Minister Golding "has found no fault in his performance". Nevertheless, Whiteman will be heading home in January and will be replaced by a bona fide Labourite, rumour has it. There was no report on how well Samuda's non-tribal explanation went down with the questioner and the other faithful present.
professional public service
Governments should have the right to change diplomats who no longer represent the country's foreign policy interests as articulated by a particular administration. Those diplomats who cannot conscientiously represent new policy directions should resign. The same should be true for a small number of critical public administration posts. There is no way on Earth, for instance, that an activist/loyalist head of communication or planning should be taken across administration. However, generally speaking, a professional public service, in the grand Westminster tradition, should be pledged to the triad of neutrality, anonymity and autonomy.
The Jamaica Civil Service has been deneutralised and politicised by successive administrations creating the kind of 'nightmare' faced by the Golding administration. However, the cure articulated by Samuda will go down as witch-hunting and makes the problem worse: "Any person who can be identified as doing things that are inimical to the interest of the country must be removed because they would not be acting on behalf of the people of Jamaica." What does that mean? How will that be done? You can be sure, as seen through green shades, that the re-election of the Jamaica Labour Party to Government is the biggest thing "in the interest of the country"!
The broom has become a powerful symbol in Jamaican politics. "Sweep dem out. A fi wi time now!" However, there is precious little now from which to offer a little licky-licky to hold the grassroots supporters who win elections for parties in what Carl Stone labelled the politics of clientelism. So, perhaps, we should expect more bluffspeak with little cash to care.
Faced with 'unfixable' problems, as The Economist magazine puts it, the prime minister/JLP party leader, addressing rock stone Labourites at the same Area Council One, has foolishly challenged the Opposition to a public debate. Labourites, recalling the trouncing which their leader gave the other leader in the election campaign debates of 2007, might very well be warmed by the challenge. The rest of the country is saying with this newspaper, "Forget the debate, get on with the job." There is no election campaign. Samuda has even said, "this conference will not be used as a campaign."
We don't expect our leaders to be members of the School Debating Society, proposing and opposing silly moots to score paper points. Parliament is the proper platform for Government and Opposition to debate the country's affairs and to seek solutions. Golding knows this but prefers to 'forget' in favour of hyping and holding supporters with shallow political verbiage. Too much of our politics is conducted on the presumption of the ignorance of the people. Politics and public policy have fed each other in an unvirtuous cycle of nurturing and capitalising on ignorance.
critical issues
Today's party conference could very well attend to the political education of supporters and an explanation of the critical issues faced by the party in government and how these are being dealt with. Beyond fighting with the recent global recession and the long-standing domestic 'recession', tugging along with the debt burden like Atlas, and cursing the PNP for mashing up the country, what is the Jamaica Labour Party about as a political organisation and in Government?
At 67, a frank review of philosophy and purpose and a refocusing of vision and mission might be in order. Not that their political opponents are any better off. The Progressive Agenda of the PNP is taking forever to be born, clearly indicating a political movement which has lost its sense of direction and only wants to return to power to manage the economy better and vacuously help the poor.
Martin Henry is a communications consultant. Feedback may be sent to medhen@gmail.com or columns@gleanerjm.com.
Will party leaders play to the gallery, which has in it disillusioned, hostile, 'hungry' and desperate Labourites, among others? - File
Samuda