Dawn Ritch, Contributor
IT SEEMS to me that Percival James Patterson has been somewhat overwhelmed by his own good fortune in becoming Jamaica's Prime Minister for a third consecutive term.
On election night and at his swearing-in he promised things that he cannot possibly deliver. Among them are national unity, a Government "without a taint of corruption", "a hand of friendship to the Opposition", and a time of unprecedented economic expansion and growth.
Despite an unusual late edition of another newspaper the day prior to the general election, which heavily promoted the incorrect Stone Poll of a nine per cent lead for the People's National Party, and the also incorrect Bill Johnson poll of a 10 per cent lead for the PNP, that party only won by 34,547 votes in a keenly contested election. This has resulted in 34 seats to the PNP and 26 to the Jamaica Labour Party.
Having campaigned on his solid achievements, the Prime Minister finds his mandate vastly reduced. This is hardly the sort of Parliament where he'll be able to put his stamp upon anything that requires a two-thirds majority. Moreover, the last 13 years have been administered purely on the basis of political correctness. As long as one is faithful to the PNP, one can get any contract and virtually get away with anything. There is no other way to explain Kenneth 'Skeng Don' Black, and a principal of Black Brothers being a preferred PNP contractor.
Deep resentment
In addition to providing work for people of doubtful character, the past Patterson administration also became known therefore for commercial and financial partisanship. People who are known to support the PNP get the work and the contracts, and this effectively stifles dissent throughout the country. They must either speak out and starve, or shut up and eat. The latter is the rational choice, but it doesn't lead to unity. Instead it breeds deep resentment and polarisation throughout the society.
As to hoping to form a Government "without a taint of corruption", Mr Patterson will find this only possible where government contractors and ministers of government are above suspicion. This is not the case with a number of its contractors.
Furthermore, the country still faces a number of unsolved mysteries from Mr. Patterson's last term of office. Among these is what caused the $6.5 billion debt at the National Water Commission, which was written off by the then Minister of Finance without explanation. Corruption in Government will forever multiply as long as there is neither transparency nor accountability.
"A hand of friendship to the Opposition..." said Mr. Patterson "...cognisant of the respective roles accorded us by the people." Does this mean that he intends to co-opt Opposition Leader Mr. Edward Seaga as a junior partner in his Government?
Only a fool would accept such an invitation because it means that responsibility for decisions can be laid on the Opposition benches while authority remains firmly with the Government. This is a sure-fire recipe for the JLP remaining another 10 years in opposition, bringing the total to 23.
Since Mr. Seaga is no fool, were he to consent to monthly meetings with the Government, and give his solutions to be implemented badly by someone else, then he would have become vain beyond measure.
Had Jamaicans thought the PNP sound and able managers of the country, they would have been returned with a landslide. Jamaica is saying it has deep reservations about what is going on in the country, because even on the lowest voter turnout since 1944 the ranks of the Opposition have been dramatically strengthened.
In order to unify the country therefore, the Government will have to send a signal that it no longer intends to vilify Mr. Seaga nor persecute the followers of the Jamaica Labour Party.
Real worker
The real corker, however, was when Prime Minister Patterson promised an era of unprecedented economic expansion and growth. Apart from huge contracts to friends of the PNP, Mr. Patterson has presided over the greatest period of joblessness and business failures this country has ever known.
With the best will and intention in the world, the Prime Minister cannot supply jobs for all Jamaicans cleaning and tending the verges on Highway 2000. Jobs come when private individuals invest money to open or expand their businesses. Then the jobs are awarded on the basis of merit, not politics and the tensions are lessened and the murders decline.
What is left of the domestic financial system is now foreign-owned, and when companies outside of that sector advertise a job thousands apply. The owners of businesses in this country are still downsizing, trying to squeeze the last ounce of productivity out of those employees who remain.
I can't imagine what Mr. Patterson thinks he has up his sleeve that will refloat the private sector, not when manufacturing, agriculture and service (except finance and its addiction to Treasury Bills) have been in steep decline for several years.
The losses at the Bank of Jamaica continue to mount, Government borrowings accelerate, the national debt is climbing as though there is no ceiling, and it seems that government guarantees are tucked away in every drawer. Yet none of it seems to have been put to productive use, nor generated the economic prosperity which continues to elude us.
His primary duty to the country therefore, is now to bring all the figures to book, and that includes the Government guarantees, the deferred financing, and all the other off-budget items. I suppose by that token what Jamaica needs even more than a Prime Minister is a good auditor, and not the ones who helped create all these special purpose vehicles in our public accounts.
It's our taxes, our future and we're entitled to know about every farthing. This is where transparency and accountability begin. Against a background of ignorance, all promises are empty.
