THE EDITOR, Sir:

WILL OUR political culture ever mature? Will the time ever come when politicians finally put the nation's interests first? As matters now stand they continue with impunity to vandalise the national interest to serve their own and their party's. This could hardly be more clearly illustrated than in the Finance Minister's boasting of trashing national economic objectives to secure electoral victory for his party. The nation is still paying for that.

In a civilised society his colleagues would have restrained him from so doing, but we do things differently here. He not only kept his job, but is now in line to become party leader and a future prime minister. Then the tourism minister pads a civic committee with party supporters to ensure her party's continued control of the constituency. Had news of her action filtered out, no-one would be surprised, as we have become used to this kind of thing from politicians. What is shocking is her open boasting of so doing.

Can things ever be different? Ordinary Jamaicans alone can answer that question and they are voting with their feet, abandoning the political process in droves. Those who still bother to vote continue to support the two major tribes. Our society is tribal. Our tribal politics is an outgrowth of our tribal society and not the other way around.

I am, etc.,

MICHAEL NICHOLSON

kovsky54@yahoo.com

Back to Letters

Go-Jamaica | Jamaica Star | Go-Local Jamaica | Sports Jamaica | Letters to the Editor