D.K. Duncan PRIME MINISTER PJ Patterson's last administration has just about completed its first three months in office. Dominated by issues of Crime, Violence and the Economy, the period from October 16, 2002 to the present has been no honeymoon for the ruling People's National Party.
The PNP President has been careful to nip in the bud any potential public fractious behaviour in relation to leadership succession.
PATTERSON: Following a fine tradition in the People's National Party, the President indicated privately and publicly that this was to be his last term in office. Leadership aspirants have nevertheless been carefully and quietly positioning themselves for the gate to fly.
:Interestingly, this situation does not seem to have put the Prime Minister in a lame duck mode. Reeling from immediate post-election violence, he initiated and responded to calls from the Opposition Leader for Summit meetings. Very little in concrete terms has resulted from these meetings so far. For Patterson's purpose, however, he was able to take some heat out of the system.
PHILLIPS: After some vacillation, the Security Minister enumerated another in a long line of anti-crime measures. This time, in spite of a few exceptions, the security forces managed to convey an image of strength with compassion. The multi-faceted approach to crime-fighting requested by the Commissioner has not manifested itself publicly. Instead, we hear stories of battle-weary lawmen lamenting the absence of intervention by the social agencies.
For the moment, leadership hopeful Security Minister Peter Phillips has not lost ground. However, there is a lot of potential ground to be lost as short-term measures are, as usual, converted into medium and long-term tactics.
SIMPSON: National leader in the public opinion polls outside of General Elections, Local Government Minister Portia Simpson Miller has been given responsibility for the Inner Cities. Rising to this challenge is no easy task if past history of attempts by successive administrations is any guide. Portia's leadership ambitions could easily rest on how well the social agencies under her control assist her main rival Peter in a holistic approach to poverty and one of its manifestations crime and violence. Karl Blythe, a Simpson Miller ally, seems set to go it alone in the leadership contest.
DAVIES: Precariously hovering above all of this is the fourth aspirant for leadership of the PNP Finance Minister Omar Davies. Unfairly accused of not telling the truth about the economy prior to the election, he faces an uphill task. Anyway he turns, it appears that "macka juck him". Omar, the longest serving Finance Minister in the last 30 years, outside of Edward Seaga, like a cat seems to have many lives. His greatest strength lies in his perceived integrity and unshakeable consistency. This is sometimes construed as arrogance. As a dark horse in the leadership race, his fortunes may depend more on actions outside of his immediate control, like opposition street activity in support of genuine national
distress.
ISSUES LOST
The critical issues of crime, violence and the economy have come into much sharper focus since the elections. The work preceding the "Consensus on Crime and Violence" seems to have removed the partisan edge from that issue. In addition, the work of the Peace Management Initiative, the Political Ombudsman and the Electoral Office under the leadership of Director Danville Walker did much to allay fears and encourage hope. Immediate post-election violence dashed this hope.
On the economic front, both parties dating from the April Budget exercise to the October elections tried to address this issue. For some inexplicable reasons there was little or no resonance from the broad electorate. Talk of debt reduction and debt management were in evidence during the budget presentations of Omar Davis and Audley Shaw. Statistics were offered to support the extent of the nation's indebtedness by the Finance Minister. Economists, talk show hosts, the Opposition and the media highlighted some of these issues. The JLP manifesto published in August was possibly the most discussed in recent times. The public at large just didn't react to the macro economy in the way they reacted to the jingles - "Log on to progress" and "Who you voting for Labour".
The higgling and haggling which surrounded the planning of the national debates by the two major parties was arguably a low point. The debates were lacklustre, unfocussed and unenlightening. However, informative and exciting as they could have been, the public just didn't seem to care.
INCONCLUSIVE MANDATE
The PNP cannot, therefore, be blamed for focusing on what they thought was their positives like roads, housing and cellular phones. The JLP cannot be blamed either for attempting to draw attention to issues of governance including the revelations of new scandals and repetitions of old ones.
In the final analysis, the new administration has inherited problems of its own making. They made our beds which we all have to lie in. There has been no compelling single analysis or interpretation of the mandate of these elections. Interpretations range from a confused electorate to a cry for unity from humility to measured arrogance a cry for peace to the inevitability of social unrest from economic despair to an electorate unwilling "to swap black dog for monkey".
History was created but hope stifled. There is the talk of leadership change but few signs of renewal. Issues like changes to the negative aspects of the political culture and constitutional reform have already been relegated to a back seat. Local Government elections will be held without any obvious meaningful reforms. Salaries of Councillors and MP's are increased. In response there are muted calls for Job Descriptions or Terms of Reference for our Politicians but even less calls for sanctions arising from a lack of accountability.
The new administration is 14 years old. It neither excites nor does it command revulsion. The electorate has spoken. It is anybody's guess what it said. Aluta continua.
One love, One heart.
Former PNP General Secretary and Government Minister in the PNP administration of the 1970s, Dr. Duncan - a dental surgeon, recently established "The D.K. Duncan Political Institute". E-mail: dktruth@hotmail.com.
