Heather Robinson
JAMAICAN POLITICS never cease to amaze me and constantly create exciting activities to observe. Two such activities caught my eye this week. The first is the newspaper and radio advertisement of South St. Andrew's MP and Minister of Finance and Planning Dr. Omar Davies' 'Campaign for Prosperity'. The second political activity took place last Monday morning on Hope Road, when Jamaica Labour Party councillors and mayors sought to deliver letters to the Prime Minister, P.J. Patterson.
I must admit that when I heard Dr. Davies' radio advertisement late one night, I was very confused. Firstly, I did not hear the start of the advertisement which would have explained what was being said, but only heard a male whom I thought was a caller to a talk show extolling the virtues of 'Omar'. But then when I checked the time, I realised that Radio Jamaica does not have a call-in programme at that time. And by then the advertisement was over and I had learnt that 'Omar' can play a good game of dominoes, and that it was paid for by the 'Campaign for Prosperity'.
QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED
When a Minister of Finance in 2005 chooses to launch a campaign for the presidency of the People's National Party (PNP) using the slogan 'Prosperity', there are several questions that need to be answered. P.J. Patterson has not yet announced his date of departure, and therefore, there is no vacancy, so why do you begin now to advertise for the benefit of the entire Jamaica? If you have served as Minister of Finance for 12 years, why haven't Jamaicans been able to receive that 'prosperity' in those 12 years? Can prosperity only come if you occupy the position of prime minister? And how satisfied are the financial brokers of the 'Campaign for Prosperity' with the ROI - Return on Investment - after extremely low, low delegate turnouts such as took place in St. Thomas last Sunday?
Most large shareholders attend annual general meetings to satisfy themselves that their investment is being handled with financial prudence. And of course if there is no dividend cheque, the chairman and chief executive officer have a lot of questions to answer. Perhaps it is time for the investors in 'Prosperity' to demand an explanation as to whether the possibility of a dividend payment is as real as the possibility of inflation being reduced to four per cent by December 31.
On Monday, when I heard about the JLP's protest/walk/ march on Jamaica House, I made my way to Hope Road. By then the tear-gassing was finished and the group was congregated at the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association's office at the corner of Ardenne and Hope roads. This action by the JLP councillors, who claimed that they were 'walking' and not 'marching', involved as one of its main players, Desmond McKenzie, the Mayor of Kingston. This is the same mayor who, along with the MP for Western Kingston, allegedly breached the curfew order on October 4. The police later decided not to press any charges. Mr. McKenzie's visit to the New Kingston Police post - where he assumed the role of a law officer - is another expression of Mr. McKenzie's overzealous behaviour as he tried to tow away a police vehicle.
In the same way that members of the Jamaica Police Federation gathered outside the Ministry of Finance (a scheduled premises), it is the same way that the councillors hoped that they could exercise similar action. They did not get to corral the Minister of Finance. One mayor asked the question: "How can the police treat us in this manner?", as clearly he believed that having been elected by the people, it gives you automatic rights that ordinary civilians do not have.
LESSONS TO BE LEARNT
There are several lessons to be learnt from Monday's incident. Councillors must realise that there are no special privileges that you have even when you can refer to a senior superintendent of police as 'Superintendent Owen'. Members of the Police Federation must think long and hard again before marching on a scheduled premises, as there are persons who might begin to believe that 'every puss and dawg have the same luck'.
If indeed there can be 'Prosperity' in Jamaica, then law and order would be easy to implement even among those who believe that they are exempt from certain laws, and those who do not require ROIs.
The reference is to premises listed in the schedule of the Public Order Act for which there is a limit of a 200-yard radius for gatherings or marches.
Heather Robinson is a life underwriter and a former Member of Parliament.
