THE EDITOR, Sir:
I cannot speak for Bruce Golding, but having travelled the same road with a similar vision for a new and different political order where accountability, justice, and education were passionate causes and the diffusion of confrontational and tribalised politics was an important part of our agenda, I have absolutely no regrets in having tried hard to proselyte these ideas.
The timing seemed propitious, the core strength of both entrenched political parties were at an all-time low and whereas to run a race of a hundred yards giving your opponents a 20-yard jump is nigh on impossible, in the political world there appeared to be a 60 per cent "undecided" and/or, "will not vote" group that we thought could be motivated.
This has proved to be not so, firstly there is a substantial group who will not vote and unfortunately it is growing because a) they "don't business" with politics because it doesn't help them or it is too dirty, and b) there is another group who are Christians who really don't want to become tainted, (listen to Love FM) and there is no convincing them to vote.
There is also a large group who supported our ideals but did not view the NDM as selectable and either did not want to "waste" their vote or felt so strongly anti one or the other of the major parties that they could not bring themselves to risk having a party rule the country that they felt so strongly against.
It was a good journey and I will support those who espouse my ideals in either of the two major parties or in the NDM if there are those with the heart, energy and determination to continue, because Jamaica comes first, and those of us who can contribute should never give up.
I am, etc.,
TONY HART
Montego Bay
