The Editor, Sir:

I am happy to see Jamaican politics reaching (or trying to reach) a new level of maturity. As a small country, Jamaica is known worldwide for many good things and a change in our approach to politics would enhance the country's image enormously and ease perceptions and contradictions of a country at peace with itself, yet with so much hard-core crime.

This is a challenge that the new government has to give top priority and one hopes that the outgoing government, that has had more share of governance than any other, will give peace efforts the chance.

With the 2007 General Election fast becoming history, we should not ignore the lessons. The people of Jamaica have spoken, perhaps not as loudly as one would have liked, but very clearly.They want a change. Implicit in their message are two things: 1. They are not so sure what they are changing to as the JLP has been long in the grass and opposition and may have forgotten how to govern; 2. That narrow margins, for the most part, by which the incumbents have won or lost, imply that there is a lot of scope for inroads to widen the governance margins, if the JLP does its thing as it has been saying rightly in opposition.

And lastly, Mr. Editor, let us all pray and hope that all Jamaican brothers and sisters, mothers, fathers and children will rest their colours and give the process a fair chance. Parliamentary democracy can only deepen and thrive if citizens and their representatives work for it.

I am, etc.,

EARLE TAYLOR

drst@mweb.com.na

46 Babs Street

Windhoek

Namibia

Via Go-Jamaica