By Erica James-King, Staff Reporter WESTERN BUREAU:
SCORES OF young people across western Jamaica are calling for urgent changes to the existing system of governance.
"Between the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, they must debate the issues and we must know what their plans are," said young banker Germaine Chambers, the convenor of the lobby group, 'Youth for Active Reformation and Development (YARD).
Mr. Chambers, who was speaking at the recent conference hosted by YARD at La Mirage Hotel, in Montego Bay, said that in addition to the two leaders, all aspirants for the position of Member of Parliament should also participate in debates in the presence of their constituents. The debates, he said, should focus on issues affecting the
people.
Another priority issue highlighted at the conference, which was held under the theme, "Politics and Governance in Jamaica, a Youth Perspective", was a call for transparency and accountability on the part of government officials.
Noting that the Patterson administration is too complacent about transparency on the financing of public programmes, the group of western youngsters said that although the ruling PNP is now issuing new and old promises about socio-economic improvement, they are still not convinced that they are serious about accountability.
"Situations such as what happened with NetServ, we cannot just allow it to go by," said Mr. Chambers, in issuing what he described as a 'wake-up call' to the Patterson administration. "We must let those who are in authority understand that they are accountable to us. We must hold them accountable." In expressing his disappointed in the state of the nation's politics, Gavin Edmond, a young teacher at the St. James High School, said that our political leaders have become "too self-seeking." According to him, "political leaders tend to forget they are the servants of the people."
"As teachers we are given the responsibility of preparing the young for the future but after we have completed that job, it is sad that governance does not do the rest," lamented Edmond. He also pointed out that while governance should provide justice to all, governance in Jamaica goes contrary to justice as "resources are distributed based on political affiliation."
The views and decisions that were taken by the young, who have been engaging in regular group meetings, are to be documented and submitted to the ruling party, other political parties and all the other major players in the island's political process.
YARD, which is a group of young professionals, has been meeting once a week over the last two months, to ventilate their views on matters affecting local politics. At Sunday's conference, the group invited a wide cross section of young people to make presentations and participate in discussions on issues affecting them.
