Vernon Daley
Generation 2000, the young professionals arm of the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), last week rebuked St. Vincent of the Grenadines' prime minister, Dr. Ralph Gonslaves, for comments he made at the recent annual conference of the governing People's National Party (JLP). The group was entirely correct in so doing.
Dr. Gonsalves, it seems, has a history of involving himself in Jamaica's affairs, starting as far back as the 1960s when, as Guild president at the University of the West Indies, he led a student march to protest against the decision of the Hugh Shearer administration to ban radical academic and political activist, Dr. Walter Rodney, from the island.
In 2002, during the run-up to general elections here, he took to the political stage again, urging voters to cast their ballots for the PNP, insisting the party was the country's best choice. At the time, this infuriated many Jamaicans, but the controversial prime minister was not to be deterred.
On his latest mission to keep the PNP in power, Dr. Gonsalves lauded the governing party for the work it had done in advancing the Caribbean integration movement and made more than a veiled suggestion that putting the JLP in power would hamper progress in Jamaica and set back the regional project.
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In comments last week, chairman of Generation 2000, Dr. Christopher Tufton, suggested the party didn't have a problem with Dr. Gonsalves' appearance on the platform of the PNP; its concern was his 'tribal' rhetoric. The suggestion here is that he should have toned down his political lingo. But was that the answer?
In such a tiny regional community, struggling to find its footing and cope with big challenges through co-operation, the last thing that is needed is injudicious political meddling to derail the slightest of gains.
On top of everything else, the political platform is such a common and unstately place for the leader of a country to show endorsement of an administration.
To be fair to the St. Vincent and the Grenadines prime minister, he is not the only Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leader who has gone to another member state to show support for a sister party. It has happened on several occasions throughout the history of the region and it continues to happen today.
A few weeks ago Dominica's prime minister, Roosevelt Skerrit, appeared on a political platform for the St. Lucia Labour Party and in a similar manner to Dr. Gonsalves, backed Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony's party as the best option for St. Lucia.
As was to be expected, the comments angered the Opposition United Workers Party and ordinary residents alike. The central issue raised there is the same one which has come up in Jamaica: does the region, run the risk of compromising relationships among leaders with this kind of political embrace?
There are no sharp differences separating one party from the next within the region and therefore there are no clear battle lines. They have all, more or less, had a convergence of ideology in terms of the route to development. In that context, it seems there is more to be lost than gained from rabid support of one party over another, notwithstanding historical associations.
Earlier this year CARICOM broke new ground when it included opposition parties in discussions on vital areas of the regional integration movement. Assuming that initiative has not since died, perhaps one of the issues that both government and opposition leaders might explore at their next meeting is how to maintain the relationships of sister parties throughout the region without the pitfalls of open platform endorsements.
Vernon Daley is Jamaica editor for the Caribbean Media Corporation and part-time lecturer in media law at the University of the West Indies, Mona.
