THE EDITOR, Sir:
I WAS disturbed by Beverly Anderson Manley's recent public comments endorsing the Finance Minister, Dr. Omar Davies, to succeed Prime Minister P.J. Patterson as leader of the People's National Party (PNP) and by extension, Prime Minister of Jamaica.
I am not quite sure as to why Beverly's statement came at this time, but from all indications, it seems to be an attempt to gain some mileage for Dr. Davies who is lagging in the leadership race. Could someone please remind me who Beverly Anderson Manley supported when P.J. Patterson and Portia Simpson Miller were vying for the leadership in 1992? Realising that Beverly Manley was the wife of the former Prime Minister, the late Michael Manley, anyone would believe that her support would be of some advantage to Dr. Davies' leadership bid. But, as for me, I am not impressed.
CANNOT SUPPORT DR DAVIES
While I am not too certain as to why I am not in favour of Dr. Peter Phillips, Dr. Karl Blythe or Robert Pickersgill to succeed Prime Minister Patterson, I do however have several economic and social reasons why I cannot support Dr. Omar Davies as Prime Minister of this island. Dr. Davies, while speaking at his campaign 'soft launch' some time ago at Cuddyz Sports Bar, had the heart to say that he wants to see a Jamaica where every Jamaican child can access a good education. Now, what I found strange is that Dr. Davies, of all persons, had the guts to utter these words.
Is it not Dr. Davies who has been the Minister of Finance for the past 13 years, whose macroeconomic policy environment, particularly the high interest rates, is blamed for the collapse of the financial sector in the early 1990s; whose prolonged high interest rate regime on government bonds and securities in the name of mopping up liquidity and winding down inflation caused a fall-off in investments and decreased gross domestic product (GDP) rate; whose bad fiscal management also caused several Jamaicans to lose their jobs with the closure of several factories during his tenure as finance minister?
The effects of Dr. Davies' bad fiscal polices are now wreaking havoc in the lives of every Jamaican child whose parent is finding it increasingly difficult to send him/her to school. Could such a person really mean what he said about wanting to see every Jamaican child having access to good education? Dr. Davies' macroeconomic polices surely have not been benefiting the ordinary Jamaican like me.
Let us cut the hypocrisy about 'class' and 'social background'. That is not what Jamaica wants. Jamaica over the years has been led by intellectuals, and what do we get? A country riddled with crime and violence, tortured by bloodshed, plagued by corruption, extortion, drugs and gun running, high cost of living and sinking deeper in illiteracy, unemployment and poverty.
I am, etc.,
R.O HALL
ricohall@hotmail.com
