In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Dean, work crews in different sections of the island moved with admirable speed to begin the process of clearing fallen tree limbs and accumulated debris. Some areas were cleared with relative speed, with up to six trucks on some roadways within a day or two of the hurricane's passage. Since then the work seems to be moving much more slowly.

We appreciate that a lot remains to be done, but the agencies that hold responsibility for this aspect of public cleansing must ensure that the debris is moved as soon as possible. Unfortunately, with the deep absence of civic pride among many people, mounds of broken tree limbs have been converted into de facto garbage dumps where every and anything is deposited. These then develop into nests for vermin. We do not absolve people of their individual responsibility, but neither should inertia by government or municipal agencies lead inadvertently to a public cleansing crisis.

In the aftermath of the general election and the hiatus between governments, there may be some lack of direction or uncertainty as to how to proceed or how payments will be made, especially if trucks were hired from private contractors to help in the clean-up process.

The National Solid Waste Management Authority is reporting a 40 per cent clearance to date. Unfortunately for some residents, this may not be at a sufficiently fast pace. We urge patience on their part even as we suggest that they take steps to mitigate the problem by not dumping garbage among fallen trees and limbs.

One aspect of disaster management that is often overlooked is what people should do in the aftermath of a storm. We have largely been focused on getting people to take the necessary steps to prepare for a storm in terms of securing life and property. Public education agencies should be as equally strong in giving their advisories and best practices after a disaster.

In a related figurative sense, the new administration of Mr. Bruce Golding may find itself having a lot of cleaning up of its own to do. The political cronyism that has fed societal and public sector corruption in particular may well require police investigations of several questionable deals. In the best interest of governance, this may be a difficult but necessary job. We just cannot afford to allow anyone to abuse public finances and get away with it.

In short, the Jamaican public has grown wary and suspicious of the political process, reflected in lukewarm to almost indifferent participation in the electoral process. The best way to achieve a change is to have cleansing of the system - in a manner that is fair and transparent and devoid of personal acrimony.