Delano Franklyn, Contributor EVERY WEEK, Delroy Chuck uses his column in The Gleaner to promote his 'ranting and raving' on behalf of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP). His 'huffing and puffing' reached new heights on Wednesday, March 30, 2005, when in an article entitled 'Demanding a General Election', he expressed his support for the threat issued by his
colleagues Mr. Karl Samuda and Dr. St. Aubyn Bartlett, to organise marches to 'demand that the PNP give up' and 'to push them (the government) from power'.
This threat by Samuda, the general secretary of the JLP, Bartlett, a member of Parliament and Chuck, an MP, the party's spokesman on justice flies in the face of Bruce Golding's struggle to be 'new and different'.
In his address to the JLP Conference on February 19, 2005 Golding said:
"We (the JLP) are ready to sit down with the Government ... on any matter that will advance the interests of the people of Jamaica. Some of you, I know, don't like that. Some of you, I know, get upset when you hear that we are meeting with the Government. But listen to me.
"We operate a two-party democracy and the interests of the country sometimes demand that both sides interact not in an adversarial way but in a deliberative way ... We are committed to doing what is in the best interests of the country, not just the party."
Golding went on to say: "... There is more that we must do. We must continue to tear down the walls of political tribalism ... You cannot build a nation that is strong, secure and prosperous if it is bitterly divided on partisan lines. And if we are to achieve that, one hand cannot clap. We must find a way of working together to unite this country behind common goals."
These words were uttered by the JLP leader on February 19, 2005. Yet, by March 22, 2005, a little more than one month later, the general secretary of the JLP said that 'We (the JLP) going to march and demand that the PNP give up' and the JLP spokesperson on
justice, by March 30, 2005 said that 'absolutely nothing is wrong' with this statement. Perhaps, just perhaps, Golding had the three in mind (Samuda, Chuck and Bartlett and maybe a few others) when he said:
'Some of you, I know, get upset when you hear that we are meeting with the Government'.
NO TO CONFRONTATION
When Mr. Golding assumes the position of leader of the Opposition, he needs to state quite unequivocally whether or not he will stand by his words or he will pander to the likes of Samuda and Chuck.
In doing so, Mr. Golding may wish to ponder on what he said when he launched the National Democratic Movement (NDM) on October 29, 1995: "Politics ought to be the means by which the
people of Jamaica are mobilised and organised and their energies harnessed to achieve broad national objectives ... But that is not what our politics is about. Our politics has essentially divided the nation into hostile tribes. The purpose of our politics is not to unite the Jamaican people and to facilitate what we, as united people, can achieve but rather to secure, control and retain power for respective tribes ... The divisiveness and continuous antagonism which characterise our politics and our inability to settle on and unite behind long range objectives have prevented us from achieving long-term stability."
Being 'new and different', Mr. Golding should be forthright in telling Chuck, Samuda, et al that he will not be a part of their confrontationalist and divisive politics. He should explain to them that trying to push the Government out of power by 'marching' will not go down well with the rest of the country, nor the PNP, which will not sit idly by and allow the JLP to undemocratically and unconstitutionally 'push them out of power'. As in the law of physics, so too in the law of politics to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
JLP HAS A RIGHT TO CRITICISE
In no way am I trying to deny the JLP and its leadership the right to criticise and oppose the policies and programmes of the Government. During the campaign leading up to the 2002 General Elections, both the JLP and the PNP issued manifestos reflecting what they stood for on almost all issues of national importance. The manifestos formed the basis of discussions all over the country on platforms, in bars, in churches, in schools, on radio and television and after all of that, the people decided to return the PNP to its fourth consecutive term in office.
Delroy Chuck, Karl Samuda and Aubyn Bartlett were a part of the JLP's team then. They campaigned long and hard. They were elected as MPs but the
people rejected their party at the polls by 34 to 26. Now they intend to usurp the will of the people by threatening to organise 'marches'.
I do not believe that the people of Jamaica will support any party political march which will bring about further instability in the society. Yes, a few party
supporters may be inclined to 'march', but would that not be putting narrow partisan interest over and above the national interest? Would not that type of march be promoting the 'tribalism' and 'continuous antagonism'
of which Golding spoke as
convenor of the NDM in 1995 and further contradict the
commitment of Golding to 'do what is in the best interests of the country, not just the party' as he stated in February this year when he assumed leadership of the JLP?
Delroy Chuck has a right to continue to express his party's political positions in his articles. He has a right to criticise the Government and the PNP. He has a right, no matter how wrong he may be, to continue to say or give the impression that nothing has been achieved by the Government since 1989. All of this will be judged by the people at the time when the prime
minister calls the next general elections. The people will then decide whether the PNP or the JLP will form the government.
In the meantime, Mr. Chuck, Karl Samuda and Aubyn Bartlett should use the time to explain what the JLP stands for. They should go back to their 2002 manifesto and ask why the people rejected their proposed plans and programmes in favour of
the PNP's. They must ask
themselves whether it is better for them to be 'confrontational and threatening', or it is better to heed the voice of reason, of he who is 'new and different'.
Delano Franklin is the Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and Foreign Trade.
