Howard Campbell, Gleaner Writer
Henry
ONE WEEK before the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) elects a new leader, a senior member is once again putting the issue of term limits for party president on the table.
Mike Henry, the party's spokesman on transport, is calling for the party's constitution to be amended so that delegates can elect a leader to serve for a specific period, instead of the president being challenged annually at party conference. According to Mr. Henry, this would encourage leadership hopefuls to wait their turn and campaign for leader when the incumbent's term expires. He argues that it would discourage infighting among frustrated members.
"When you have an (uncertainty) about any beginning or any end, you end up creating factions of power bases because incoming young
people have aspirations," Mr. Henry told The Sunday Gleaner. "If they don't know when that's (term of office) going to end, they rally a power base for some kind of recognition and it's that area that I wish to see removed from the structure of party politics."
Mr. Henry, who is also the member of Parliament for Central Clarendon, has long advocated term limits for party leader. It was one of the main issues of his campaign when he unsuccessfully contested the JLP leadership against Edward Seaga at the party's conference in 2000.
Last June, Mr. Seaga announced his intention to resign from the JLP leadership after 30 years. His resignation paved the way for party delegates to select a new leader at its conference which was scheduled for November. But the event was postponed after Pearnel Charles, one of the contenders, charged that the delegates list was flawed and successfully took his case to court. In January, Mr. Charles withdrew from the contest leaving party chairman Bruce Golding as the lone candidate. Mr. Golding will be formally elected,
un-opposed, at the rescheduled
conference on February 19.
POTENTIALLY MORE TURMOIL
This, says Mr. Henry, is a dangerous precedent. "Now that you are coming in un-opposed there's no say of the people so it's open for someone to challenge next year and this may again throw the party into some turmoil," Mr. Henry reasoned. "I advocate that we address the constitution, ask all the aspirants to campaign across the country speaking to all of the delegates and therefore settle once and for all who should lead for four, five, six or 12 years depending on your term limits."
Mr. Henry says during the past 18 months, he has consistently raised the matter of term limits with the JLP's executive. Although the response has been favourable, he says the support has not been strong enough to expedite change in the party's transition process.
Dr. Kenneth Baugh, the Opposition leader, says that the term limit topic is still on the JLP's agenda. "It's something that is being discussed as several members support it, but no decision has been made," Dr. Baugh told The Sunday Gleaner.
