THE METTLE and character of the senior officers of the Jamaica Labour Party will be severely tested over the next few weeks and months, perhaps even more so than they have been in the party's recent turbulent history.
The contents of Edward Seaga's letter to party chairman, Bruce Golding, has already been widely-reported, revealing a deeply-angry, perhaps hurt, outgoing party leader. That it should have received the wide-circulation it did within hours of its being delivered underscores some of the fundamental problems dogging the Opposition party. It suggests that different groups had an interest in it being published either to reveal how bitter Mr. Seaga is or to further cast doubts on the putative front-runner as successor, Bruce Golding's capacity to lead.
These developments are coming against the background of reports from within the party over the past few months of the emergence of a group of younger partisans who are less deferential in their confrontations and dealings with Mr. Seaga. This would have been hardly surprising given the often-argued view that he has been their greatest political liability. Searing ambition is not often mindful of protocol or years of service. And truth be told, Mr. Seaga himself has not been reticent to lash out at others in less than respectful terms in past party meetings.
In that context few people would expect that after the bitter quarrels of the past few years and recent months, that Mr. Seaga's announcement of his exit plans would result in sudden peace and harmony among the various aspirants to leadership and the camps which support them.
As we have pointed out previously, the JLP will have to address and cultivate a culture within the party that allows for free, frank discussions of disparate points of view in a vigorous but civil manner, without the threat of recriminations hanging over people's heads. Party meetings are not tea parties but neither need they descend into crass, vitriolic cursing matches. For the measure of disrespect they show to each other, points to the level of disrespect that will be extended to others outside the party.
In many respects what has been demonstrated starkly over the past few days is a vacuum of leadership the absence of any senior officer(s) who can stand above the fray and bring the contending factions to a reasonable level of rapprochement. The bitterly-divided JLP about which Mr. Seaga spoke in his letter, is as much his legacy, as it is anyone else's.
Once again, we urge the various factions to cool it, allow time for the wounds to heal, and to turn their attention to what is really important, developing a vision for nation building.
THE OPINIONS ON THIS PAGE, EXCEPT FOR THE ABOVE, DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE GLEANER.
