Heather Robinson
MOST POLITICIANS at some time during their political life experience the pleasure of victory and the pain and trauma of defeat. Some leave political life without ever experiencing personal defeat, while at the same time would have shared the agony of defeat with a political colleague. At such time, words of comfort and regret are offered, and those who wish to return to the electorate at some future date will do a post-mortem of their campaign and election day organisation and, of course, a close examination of the day's results, polling division by polling division.
Those who worked for the political party on election day are thanked for their efforts, preferably at a meeting with all concerned. Those who are successful at the polls celebrate on the night the preliminary results are given and await confirmation of such victory from the final count the following day.
In April 2000, the Jamaica Labour Party, led by their leader Edward Seaga, celebrated their triumphant victory in the North East St Ann by-election with a motorcade through the streets of Ocho Rios way past ten in the night. Hundreds of supporters paraded themselves and their colours through the town, as the JLP experienced its first real victory since 1980. The PNP supporters stood by and watched them with varying levels of pain and anguish on their faces.
Last Thursday evening I journeyed to North East St Catherine to the Glengoffe square. The road was almost impassable and I managed to find a small space inside the police station. Apparently, the JLP had set up its campaign headquarters next door to the police station, so there was a large gathering in that general vicinity. Every now and then they would behave as if they had won, by singing, shouting and, of course, ringing the bell. About half an hour after arriving, one of the rural mayors reported that they had won by 24 votes. At that point I had to remark that he did not appear to be behaving like someone who had just beaten the PNP in a keenly contested by-election, and since the only time I had seen the JLP celebrate such a victory was in 2000, the response was not very convincing.
TELLING SIGN
Some time later the Electoral Office announced victory for the PNP, and it was interesting to see the complete change in the JLP supporters. But the most telling sign of defeat that I observed was that of a dejected General Secretary Karl Samuda slowly making his way up the small incline into the police station yard. I had to greet him. "Good night Comrade Samuda", I said. And he answered and we spoke for a few minutes. Apart from the clear levels of pain that were seen in Mr. Samuda's face and general body language, one wondered if in moments like this one, Mr. Samuda was in fact contemplating that had he remained in the PNP, he would not now be forced to accept the responsibility for losing a Parish Council seat in St Catherine.
In fact, does Mr. Samuda have these thoughts very frequently, as daily his faith and loyalty to the JLP is constantly being tried and tested? Is this what I came back to the JLP for, and is this how I want to spend my last days in politics, constantly having to try to play catch up and always seeming to be on the defensive, must be some of the questions Karl Samuda asks of himself on a daily basis.
PNP Chairman Bobby Pickersgill has been very vocal in accepting responsibility for the party's victory in Mount Industry. But had the votes not been in the PNP's favour he would have been a different man last Thursday. By-elections are about the people electing a local representative. But it is also about who accepts the responsibility for victory and the blame for defeat. Many Jamaicans will not be able to tell you one week after the elections the name of either candidate. But they will be able to tell you that Karl Samuda has been blamed for the JLP's defeat and that Bobby Pickersgill, Horace Dalley and many others were the ones responsible for the PNP victory. Success has many parents. Defeat has only orphans.
Heather Robinson is a life underwriter and former member of parliament.
