Peter Espeut
THE CAMPAIGNING candidates for the presidency of the People's National Party have a hard row to hoe. Every one of the four candidates has been part of the PNP government of the last 15 years, and everything each says they will do if and when they are elected raises the question: "Why did you not do that at some time over the last 15 years?" It either raises questions about the quality and sincerity of their contribution to Cabinet deliberations over the years, or it challenges the effectiveness - the very legacy - of outgoing Prime Minister the Most Honourable P.J. Patterson.
The suggestion would be that for these many years Prime Minister Patterson has been holding back the progress of the country, and that once he is out of the way, they will make things right.
The truth is that that there is a lot wrong with Project Jamaica at the moment: dismal education, poor infrastructure, an emasculated firefighting force, a world-record number of murders, a swiftly-deteriorating natural environment, and so on. But for Simpson Miller, Phillips, Davies or Blythe to say so would, first of all, be an indictment - sound condemnation - of the Most Honourable and themselves! And secondly, it would give the JLP valuable ammunition to use against them at the next general election. And so none can campaign too hard, for fear of damaging the memory of the Most Honourable - and digging their own graves.
CRITICISING THE STATUS QUO
You see, the candidate who suggests that he/she is going to make big changes if they win, is criticising the status quo. They know this, and so when each candidate is asked what changes to economic policy, foreign policy, taxation policy, social policy, environmental policy, etc. they would bring about, they all say they will continue the policies of P.J. and Omar. To say otherwise would be to invite the obvious question. And so the four of them are spending their time tiptoeing through the tulips, trying not to mash any corns.
They are not doing very well at it. Peter is criticising the PNP's record in education and job-creation; Portia is criticising the PNP's record in crime-fighting; Omar is criticising the PNP's history of garrisons and its social policy; and Karl Blythe is criticising it all. But ask any of them if that is what they are doing, they will deny it! It is a campaign with so many constraints.
To cap it off, the Cabinet has just finished a retreat where they have all agreed on the way forward, and so no matter which one wins, you won't be able to tell the difference in terms of policy direction; that has already been agreed upon for the foreseeable future. Four peas in a pod!
'DIEHEARTED' DELEGATES
So what will be the difference between them? What will make one 'diehearted' PNP delegate vote for one candidate over the other? "If I vote for you, what is in it for me?" "If I make a donation to your campaign, what is in it for me?" In a general election, if your party wins, you can expect contracts, houses, work and all sorts of other favours. I suppose if your candidate for President wins, it's all in the promises that were made! There are Cabinet posts, plum board chairmanships and memberships, and those coveted high-salaried posts called "consultants" and "special advisors" to be allocated. This presidential election is a fight for scarce benefits and spoils within a party that is beginning to look like it is made up of hostile tribes. A lot is at stake!
As I have written before, I just can't seem to work up any excitement for these look-alike. Three are garrison MPs, and the other was close to Willie Haggart, and most visibly went to his Orange Funeral, and sat beside two others (did anyone notice the media blackout on which PNP stalwarts and candidates attended Bulbie's funeral? What a cooperative media!) Whichever one of the four wins, he/she will be well connected inside garrison politics, and will earn the right to face the JLP leader who is their chief garrison MP. Jamaica's corner is dark indeed!
Peter Espeut is a sociologist and is executive director of an environment and development NGO.
