Beverley Anderson Manley
THE NINTH general election in Jamaica is due in 2007 - in just under two-and-a-half years. Between then and now - there are a number of significant items on the political agenda - including the election of a new People's National Party (PNP) president and subsequently, Prime Minister of Jamaica.
This is taking place against the background of a leader of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) who is working hard to make his mark within his party and the country.
As the PNP concluded its 67th annual conference in September it focused on the legacy of its outgoing president, P.J. Patterson. Party members and delegates are continuing to organise themselves around different leader-ship contenders.
There are four teams headed by Portia Simpson Miller, Peter Phillips, Omar Davies and Karl Blythe. The challenge for the candidates and their teams is to be supportive of Mr. Patterson, while at the same time differentiating themselves from his policies and programmes, of which they themselves are a part.
For example, if a candidate says she or he is for education and in a particular kind of way, does this deny P.J.'s role in education and what is the impact of this on his legacy? In his speech to the conference, P.J. outlined his withdrawal plan. It appears that a special conference could be held as early as the end of January and definitely by March.
SPECIAL CONFERENCE
The new party president will be elected by the party delegates. Who is a delegate? Under the constitution of the PNP, the same number of delegates who voted at the last annual conference (September 2005) will vote at the special conference.
However, groups can elect delegates other than the ones chosen for the annual conference. In other words, while the numbers remain the same, the individuals can change.
This makes for an interesting situation at a time of the leadership campaigns where the contenders are seeking to identify and woo delegates to support them.
Many of the 'delegates' are having a field day as they move from leadership camp to leadership camp, accepting whatever comes their way; changing from T-shirt to T-shirt, depending on the occasion. In spite of this, each candidate has his or her hard core support.
Within the next six months, therefore, expect to see enhanced political organisation - the accelerated rebuilding of the PNP, simultaneous with heightened activity by the JLP - during which time there will be increasing calls from the Opposition for 'Elections now', particularly after the new PNP leader/Prime Minister takes office. A new party leader/Prime Minister, after all, should seek his or her own mandate. Hence, there would be resonance for the call for 'elections now', two years before the next general election is due. Traditionally, the PNP has never served its full term in office anyway.
CRIME AND ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
So, agendas are the talk of the day. Regarding crime, the criminals also have their agenda. There have been more murders this year than we have ever seen in the history of Jamaica. There have been more demonstrations every time a don/community leader is locked up or killed.
There are elements of insurgency. Jamaica is in the top three countries in the world as far as murders per capita are concerned. Whether it is men, women or children - brutality and viciousness make no distinction.
Too often it appears that attempts are being made for illegal elements to take over the running of the country as they come face to face with a state that risks losing its legitimacy.
There are several trains running: the PNP leadership train; the PNP/JLP election train; the illegal train (crime, violence and anti-social behaviour)
And always - undergirding all of this - the state of the economy.
THE GAP
During this four-month gap, between now and when the new PNP leader is chosen, how can decent, law-abiding Jamaican citizens play roles in the interest of Jamaica? The economy continues to be fragile and requires high levels of cooperation and responsibility on everyone's part to merely maintain where it is at this time.
We are in for a spectacularly rocky time. Delegates of the PNP, members of the JLP, the Jamaican diaspora and Jamaican citizens generally - many of whom are still maintaining their comfort zones in the 'stands'and not on the 'court' - let us watch the situation carefully and decide with our brains and not with our emotions what happens next.
It is, after all, our responsibility as citizens, and the nature of the times demands nothing less from us.
Beverley Anderson Manley is a political scientist, gender specialist and broadcaster. Email: Bmanley@kasnet.com
