Micheal Burke

National Hero Norman Washington Manley died on September 2, 1969, 35 years ago today. The elder Manley was co-founder of the People's National Party (PNP) and former chief minister and premier. He was determined that Jamaica should become an independent nation, whether singly or as part of the now defunct West Indies Federation.

Manley was also determined that every adult should have the right to vote and not just the property owners and taxpayers. This was the case before December 14, 1944, the date of the first general election under Universal Adult Suffrage.

As life would have it, the PNP lost to the Jamaica Labour Party in 1944 and Norman Manley did not even win a seat. That would be the first of two times that Norman Manley would tell his party to organise and organise and organise. The second time would be after the PNP defeat to the JLP in 1962.

The PNP won power in January 1955 and Norman Manley headed the Government for seven years until April 1962. Norman Manley would, however, never be prime minister of independent Jamaica. But the PNP's strength in all of those early years would be in organisation. At the same time, the PNP's main rival, the JLP, especially when led by its founder, National Hero Sir Alexander Bustamante, relied 100 per cent on the charisma of its founder.

Perhaps the artificial controversy surrounding a statement made by Industry and Tourism Minister Aloun Assamba is quite timely. Earlier this year when Local Government Minister Portia Simpson Miller refused to vote on the provisions to be given to the fire services, I asked the question "what is a political party"? I criticised the most popular minister of government in this country because political parties are about teamwork.

Then there was a letter from someone writing from overseas, who did not get my first name right, and gave a lecture on the constitution of Jamaica and that political parties are not recognised by the constitution. Where and when had I ever written otherwise? I imagine that if I had asked the rhetorical question "What is butter?" he would have proceeded to write that there is no law that butter must be eaten on bread alone even if I had made no such assertion.

Political parties are also about organisation, and in this respect Aloun Assamba is right on track. When it is wrong is when there is no fair play or the law is broken. I heard nothing about any JLP supporter being denied membership of the civic committee in Southeast St Ann.

And as long as no one is discriminated against in wanting to be a part of it, there is absolutely nothing wrong with having a civic committee and making attempts to see to it that your party supporters are in a majority. That is what a political party is about, and criticisms of the statement by the Opposition JLP are hypocritical.

At the same time, there is nothing wrong in organising one's party supporters to call the radio talk shows as has been the practice of JLP supporters until they found out that the practice did not bring results. Norman Manley knew the power of organisation. And it was good that he knew it, because he lacked the charisma of his rival and cousin Alexander Bustamante.

Assamba also voiced her concern about crime frightening away potential investors and tourists. This concern, which has been aired for decades now, is not going to cause an end to crime. What has to happen is that associations of poor people should be encouraged to buy shares in a hotel, which is people-based like the Radio Jamaica ownership structure.

When they know that they get some profit from tourism and are deprived of it because tourists are too frightened to come to Jamaica, trust me, they will do something about crime. One way to do this is for the members of the credit unions to take a more active part in their unions and get themselves elected as delegates to the league.

And the league should buy shares into even one hotel, even if some shares are re-sold to people-based organisations. Norman Manley organised the first service co-operatives while the Roman Catholic Church organised the first credit unions in Jamaica. In 1950, the Co-operative Act, piloted by Norman Manley as opposition leader, became a reality. It embraced all co-operatives, including credit unions.

Aloun Assamba is a former general manager of City of Kingston Co-operative Credit Union. She is also Roman Catholic, which is where I first met her in the 1970s. She should welcome the idea of co-operative share ownership of at least one hotel. Prime Minister P J Patterson has echoed similar sentiments, although not as a strategy to fight crime, which frightens away investors and tourists.

But not enough has been written about Norman Manley as an architect of co-operatives. Norman Manley founded Jamaica Welfare, which established many co-operatives. Jamaica Welfare eventually evolved into the Social Development Commission.

The fear factor

Feeding the multitude

DANGEROUS PETS