Vernon Daley

An opinion poll in The Sunday Gleaner told us that the majority of Jamaicans are not in favour of a general election at this time. It's good to have the empirical evidence but anybody paying attention to what people have been saying in recent months could have been in no doubt that a general election right now was not being viewed favourably by the electorate.

Still, the reality is that the leadership of both major political parties might have so boxed themselves into a corner that a general election is inevitable in the near future. So, we had better start preparing ourselves for the insanity that comes with elections in this country, including a rise in crime and violence. If we thought things have been bad, they might just be about to get a little bit worse.

Several court actions

The Opposition People's National Party has brought several court actions against government MPs, arguing that they were not properly elected because they allegedly have sworn allegiance to a foreign power in violation of the Constitution.

No government can operate under that level of uncertainty and, therefore, Prime Minister Bruce Golding must be contemplating all the options as to when to return to the polls. Perhaps, he's waiting on the recent rise in crime to taper off or for some stability to return to galloping food prices. These issues have defined the political environment over the past few weeks and the image of the Government has taken a battering for that.

Problem easily solved

The problem of MPs swearing allegiance to a foreign power can be easily solved without the need to go back to the polls in a contested general election, while still upholding the Constitution. Several persons have made suggestions in that regard, including myself.

We are, however, unable to pursue those options because the people involved in the political process seem always to put the interest of their party and themselves above the interest of the country. I long for the day when our political leaders make the right decisions on the basis that they don't love their party less but that they love Jamaica more.

It's not too late. The country's political leadership can still demonstrate their patriotism by finding some appropriate middle ground on which to spare the country the trauma of going back to a general election in the immediate future. The Vale Royal talks are set to resume and it's left to be seen whether the political masters can use that forum to rekindle some faith in the political process.

Many Jamaicans feel that the discord between the two parties has been at the heart of this country's failures, and so it will take an extraordinary act of compromise and goodwill among leaders to even begin to strip away the damaging public perception built up over time.

Obama and race

Barack Obama has slain the dragon lady to become the first non-white presidential nominee of the Democratic Party. It's a remarkable achievement that shows him off as a fine political talent even as it demonstrates the clear maturing of America as a society that looks past the colour of a person's skin to determine his or her abilities.

Nevertheless, people shouldn't be lulled into thinking that America's racial problems are behind her. We are likely to see race emerge now as a real issue in the general election campaign against the Republican Party. There are just going to be some white people who will find it hard to vote for this biracial man who has identified himself with the black community. Groups connected to the Republican Party know this and they are going to exploit it. Hang on tight, Senator Obama, the ride to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is about to get really bumpy.

Send comments to: vernon.daley@gmail.com; for feedback, columns@gleanerjm.com.