IN THE spirit of the country's political traditions, the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) wraps up its annual conference today with a public session in Kingston. Perhaps the mood will be indicative of quiet, growing confidence encouraged by some of the recent Don Anderson poll findings but perhaps, too, delegates and leaders will be mindful and reflective of areas in which the public finds them falling short.We take an interest in the activities of the JLP as much for its institutional role in Jamaica as for the fact that it is an alternative government-in-waiting. It is a truism that the country needs a vibrant and alert Opposition as watchdogs for governmental excess. But it also needs a credible alternative government prepared to take the reins of power through democratic means at the appropriate time.
So far, a significant segment of public opinion indicates that the JLP has yet to craft and articulate a clear message as to what it is about and in what new direction it hopes to take Jamaica were it to be the preferred choice among a majority of Jamaicans. Its leader, Bruce Golding, may have stepped tentatively out of the shadow of his predecessor, but has yet to define himself to the Jamaican public as to what he stands for and why Jamaicans should entrust national leadership to him.
Jamaica at this time needs more than media hype, slick messages, fancy clichés or public agitation. Hopefully, the deliberations at yesterday's conference and the message presented today, will be more than a declaration of readiness to lead. There must be practical demonstrations that the party's leaders and delegates have been engaged in serious reflective dialogue on what ails Jamaica and how they are going to help the process of moving forward in curtailing crime and violence, spurring local enterprise and increasing trade.
The spirit of our parliamentary democracy demands that we have credible alternative policies. The dangers of any one party being in power for an extended period are all too evident - increasing corruption and the attendant arrogance being but two areas of greatest concern to the public.
But the leaders of the JLP and their delegates would do well to consider that however angry or upset the public may be with the incumbents, they will not necessarily rush to embrace them just because they are there. They will need to demonstrate to the Jamaican public that they have something to offer that is better than what obtains now. They have yet to do that.
If today's conference is to mean anything, the public must be presented with more than buntings and balloons, bus loads of delegates and hyped-up party feelings inside the National Arena. We need to hear a clear articulation of a vision of Jamaica's future and how we can get there.
