THE news that the National Democratic Movement has voted to form an "alliance" with the Republican Party of Jamaica and Jamaica Alliance for National Unity (JANU) has once again brought to the fore the so far topsy-turvy history of "third parties" in Jamaica. That the United People's Party (UPP) allegedly pulled out of the talks because of the suggested process of determining who should be the leader of this motley crew has also brought into focus one of the key elements of sustaining political organisations in this country known so well for its high casualty rate for "third parties" -- the critical matter of leadership. I don't care what the pundits and others say, no new political party is going to survive in today's Jamaica unless there is a charismatic leader at the helm.

Incidentally, isn't it time we laid this peculiar nomenclature "third party" to rest? After all, since 1944 there have been so many "third parties", all of which have bitten the dust in the wake of the firm grip that both the People's National Party (PNP) and the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) have had on the Jamaican electorate. My suggestion is that we refer to these new parties as "alternative parties". Indeed, if this current alliance is looking for an appropriate name then it could choose the name: The Jamaican Alternative (JA). So long as Ras Astor Black of Jamaica Alliance Movement (JAM) has no objections against the sobriquet which is pronounced like "JAH" which is a popular Rastafarian expression.

Frankly, though, those alternative parties need to realise that it is not sufficient to capitalise and rely solely on the discontentment in the society. For any alternative party outside of the PNP and JLP to succeed at the polls then it must first of all have credibility (capable of being believed, effective, reliable) as well as be creditable (deserving credit, esteem). In recent times, alternative parties have sought to use either ideologies or ideas to capture the imagination of the Jamaican people. One recalls Dr Trevor Munroe's Workers Party of Jamaica (WPJ) which openly embraced communism/ socialism and which incidentally once won a parish council seat in Hanover. The Republican Party has sought to capitalise on Jamaicans' obsession with the American dream by proposing that Jamaica should apply for American statehood. Then there was the Christian United Party (CUP) that felt that their Bible-thumping strategies would eventually bring about that great revival. So much for pipe dreams.

It is perhaps safe to say that in living memory the alternative party that has made the most impact on modern Jamaica had been the Bruce Golding-led NDM now wallowing in dismay and disarray. After Golding's departure, the death knell was sounded as there appeared to be very little public confidence in the leadership of newly elected president Hyacinth Bennett and her ability to make the party into a viable alternative. Now there is talk of a merger which would suggest that the NDM leadership has doubts about its own survival as a single entity on the political landscape. An early bit of warning to these fledgling parties is that any such great coming together of so-called "third parties" will most certainly lead to a "merger" of the PNP and JLP, whether explicitly or implicitly. As one who has very little political savvy, I would be bold to suggest that instead of those sardines swimming around with one another in a make-believe euphoria, they should seek to align themselves with one of the big fishes (PNP or JLP). After all, if you can't beat them, join them. Or better yet, try making changes from within rather than from without (ask Barbara Clarke who is reportedly now a comrade-at-arms or Dennis Meadows who is no longer singing the blues but has opted for the green light).

In any event, superstition has it that "three" is a bad number. Three is tragedy, death, loss, "hataclaps". So by the very name they choose to live with, third parties are destined to die, many of which tend to be the victims of stillbirth.

Antonnette Haughton-Cardenas is a smart woman because, frankly, outside of her and perhaps the Rev Al Miller, which other personality there has the national clout to create any meaningful waves? Clearly, Golding only has to bide his time, now that he has all the time in the world on talk radio to maintain his noble place in the scheme of things, before making a strategic move back into the fold. Clearly, after Patterson and Seaga, there is going to be a leadership vacuum at the national level and, from all indications, only a Bruce Golding will have much credibility and creditability left to make any real difference in the minds of the Jamaican electorate. He will be an idea whose time has finally come. So much for the greatest of all "third party" founders, to date!

My own view is that the current \ "third party" aficionados are for the most part "wolves in sheep's clothing". Just follow the latest soap opera "cass-cass" among them and you will realise that they are as partisan and cantankerous as some comrades and labourites are wont to be! That is one of the major reasons why a discerning Jamaican people have not overwhelmingly embraced any of those parties which, for the most part, comprise malcontents, opportunists, ego-trippers and daydreamers. They sound too much like the very same party hacks that they have so often condemned from their shaky platforms. By his deeds shall a man be known. So far, while their pronouncements sound attractive and in some cases (especially in the case of the NDM) have even helped to influence positively the direction in which our politics is going, the harsh reality is that "dem no ready yet"! And outside of proportionate representation becoming a reality, "third parties" will remain just that, third in line.

Trousers in Denim

Cream of the 'Crop'

Cheeky's World