Heather RobinsonHeather Robinson, Contributor
THE PROCESS by which we elect our representatives to the Jamaican Parliament is a relatively straightforward one. Persons offer themselves through a political party or as independent candidates. Political parties have certain criteria that these individuals must meet. A selection process precedes the announcement of who will represent the constituency in the General Elections. Having been announced as the candidate, the individual is nominated on Nomination Day and his name is placed on the ballot paper that will be used to elect the Member of Parliament on Election Day. Having been elected as a member of the Government, the Prime Minister determines who will be a member of his Cabinet and who will comprise the backbench.
QUICK EXAMINATION
A quick examination of who are these persons who offer themselves as candidates and why, could prove instructive. For the most part these are persons who have had some previous relationship with a political party, and who have served the party in some capacity in the past. However, there are some who have never been heard of prior to being suggested as a candidate, and who have had no previous public service record. This latter group supposedly comes with no political baggage and expects to literally conquer the world. Those candidates with prior experience are more practical and understand how the party works and political "runnings".
Coming from both groups we find persons who have never had to supervise, manage or budget and plan for a weekly or monthly payroll. We have also found persons, who once elected, are solely dependent on their incomes from Parliament. Persons in this position are either going to expose themselves to situations and individuals not of their own choosing, or being heavily indebted during and after their term in office.
These persons who have placed their names on ballot papers deserve our support and commendation. They have opted not to be labelled as fence sitters and critics of a system about which they intend to do nothing. They have given up their privacy and in some cases their much larger incomes to serve and represent a constituency.
General Elections are held to elect 60 Members of Parliament. The Party that commands the majority from this group forms the government. During the week or so that it takes to complete the final counts for each of the 60 constituencies, newly-elected and re-elected MPs wait patiently on that call from the Prime Minister, and so each time the phone rings the Caller ID is closely scrutinised, and some wonder if the Prime Minister has their correct number.
While all of this waiting is going on constituents have started to relate to their MPs as their representatives and expect immediate service to begin. Driving through the constituency the MP is no longer called by his name but is referred to as "MY MP".
MY MP is supposed to be able to get me a job, if I did not already have one, and if I had one, to get me a new one that pays better. MY MP is expected to build even one new housing scheme. And perhaps more importantly constituents expect to be able to contact MY MP when they need to at an office, and they need to see MY MP regularly. MY MP is expected to assist with educational costs and repairs to schools as well as contributing to a meaningful sports programme. These are just a few of the expectations from constituents including both those who voted and those who were not even on the voters list.
STRETCHED
But while this is happening in the south, east, west, north and northeast the minds of many MPs are stretched to that office located at Devon Road.
Those whose minds have been stretched to Devon Road, and who have been successful in receiving that call from the Prime Minister must make up their minds what is their true desire. Is it first to serve those who faithfully put their Xs beside their names or is it to complain about how much work is entailed in the job of being Minister? And does this job of being a Minister prevent and excuse one from being MY MP?
YES, MINISTER, we need to know!
Heather Robinson is a Senior Life Underwriter and former Member of Parliament.
