Dr Roderick Hewitt, Contributor

Hewitt

The first five months of 2008 have ushered in a new socio-political phenomenon within Jamaica and that is the coming into being of local militia groups. I am amazed that the media and other well-informed analysts continue to speak of gunmen terrorising the society. I beg to differ! What is currently enveloping our nation is a phenomenon that is different from all other eras. Criminal activities have metamorphosed over the years and have become a force that is now out of control.

What started out as criminal elements in garrison constituencies, headed by so-called 'dons' has now become independent militia groups. In their embryonic phase, they attached themselves to political parties as parasites and delivered votes to the political parties in return for space to carry out their illegal economic activities. They have now become so well established that they no longer need party political authorisation or support for their activities. They privatised crime and security matters within their local communities and have transformed them politically into dictatorial fiefdoms or cantons with their system of governance headed by their own 'prime minister', 'minister of defence' and 'minister of finance' and 'minister of social security'.

REAL AND PRESENT DANGER

These militias are autonomous, but when they are threatened by the state they will enter into partnership with their competing militias to form a united force to resist any power that seeks to overthrow their authority. Over the years they have used corrupt politicians to neutralise the effectiveness of the state to uproot them from their local base. Now they have enough money to control any politician that serve as their 'official ambassador' to the other state called Jamaica. Their minister of finance levels local taxes on business, and all building projects approved by the Jamaican Government must be controlled by them and there is a common understanding that there must be cost overrun in order to pay local security poll tax levied by the militia political bureau chief.

What we are experiencing this year is an intentional strategy by these rogue powers to weaken the capacity of the Jamaican state to govern. Unless the prime minister, the leader of the opposition, the minister of national security and the police commissioner come to their senses and recognise that there is indeed a real and present danger to the integrity of the Jamaican state then we are all in serious trouble. What we are facing is not one or two independent gunmen committing crime, but an organised force seeking to weaken the capacity of the state to function normally. Their real objective is political. If left unchecked, Jamaica will become another Somalia, and the Corporate Area like the capital, Mogadishu.

SIMPLISTIC RESPONSE

These rogue powers cannot be won by police or military force because they are deeply woven into the fabric of local communities. Sending out police to fight gunmen is a simplistic response to the present crisis. That era has passed because our leaders procrastinated 'when Rome was burning'. It will be a long and painful journey to win over our fellow citizens who have been abandoned to do their own thing for so long. They will not easily trust the state that treated the citizens of these communities as disposable commodities. But we cannot give up. All Jamaicans of goodwill must join hands in partnership with these communities to fashion a vision of hope.

This government needs to wake up. Its real threat is not the opposition party but 'rogue powers' thriving on drugs, guns and insecurity within the nation. The opposition is in no fit state to govern on its own in spite of all its recent soundings. It's all bark! The PNP will need to complete its soul-cleansing years in the wilderness before it can regain the trust of the Jamaica nation to rule again. Sadly, the present government has not yet convinced the nation that it is 'united and purpose-driven around a clear vision for the future of this nation'. It is behaving as a child suffering with attention deficit disorder (ADD). It cannot remain focus for long on anything and is generally impulsive. This child disrupts the class (notice the behaviour of some Parliamentarians) and does not complete assignment (forgot homework done on crime plan). This child also reacts negatively to criticisms. Fortunately, when ADD is identified correctly, a strategic programme that involves supervised medication and teaching strategies designed to modify behaviour can lead to success.

The mature critique in an editorial of this paper is to be commended. We cannot afford business as usual. This nation cannot afford business as usual. I am praying that the prime minister and the opposition leader, along with their teams, will rise to the occasion at the upcoming Vale Royal talks to act in the interest of the Jamaica people. Jamaica is haemorrhaging and no single political party can bring about the healing that is needed. Other leaders with the nation's interest at heart would have opted for a government of national unity to fight the twin monster of insecurity and economic crisis plaguing the country. I hope that it is not too late for good sense to prevail. Only a united effort from all can save Jamaica 'land we love'.

Rev Dr Roderick Hewitt is pastor of Hope United Church, St Andrew. He may be contacted at hewittrod@yahoo.com or columns@gleanerjm.com