IT seems that if the People’s National Party (PNP) is able to convince Jamaicans to give it an unprecedented fourth consecutive term in government later this year, it will be substantially because of people’s perception of its performance in infrastructure development and providing them with homes and land.

For Edward Seaga’s Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), its biggest drawing card, if it is to end 13 years in Opposition, will be to stress its case that it has better managers than the PNP by emphasising its performance in government in the 1980s and highlighting perceived weaknesses in the ruling party.

That, at least, appears to be the burden of voter response when asked by the Stone Organisation about the strongest case either party has to take to the electorate ahead of the general elections which Prime Minister P J Patterson promises will take place by year-end.

Stone conducted the survey for the Observer at the end of June, using a sample of 1,202 persons aged 18 and over, from 40 communities in Jamaica’s 14 parishes. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus three per cent.

When Stone had asked people if they had heard anything from the platform of either party convincing enough to make them win an election, 58 per cent said no in the case of the JLP against 48 per cent who had the same position regarding the PNP.

Although majorities (52.4 per cent PNP and 58.6 per cent JLP) said they didn’t know, when Stone asked specifically about the biggest drawing card or successes the parties would take into the election, voters again underlined what had earlier emerged as the Government’s main strengths.

For instance, 14.4 per cent said the PNP’s main success was infrastructural development and another 4.9 per cent pointed to its performance in roads, including the planned Highway 2000 as a good selling point. Combined, that was about on par with the 17.4 per cent that said roads and highways when they were asked about the worthwhile policy issues that came from the ruling party’s platform.

The Government’s housing and land policies were rated by 10.4 per cent as strong points it could take to the electorate again, not far off from the 8.2 per cent who had identified housing as a credible issue discussed from the ruling party’s platform.

Education issues were seen by 5.4 per cent as a policy success to be taken to the electorate, just slightly behind the 6.3 per cent who had rated them as positive based on the platform discussions.

In the case of the JLP, its biggest single drawing card, among 10 per cent of the adults, was its case that it is a better manager than the PNP and had proved this in the 1980s. This is ahead of the 4.7 per cent who had identified the JLP’s declaration of better leadership and management as the strong point that had come from its campaign platforms.

Another 8.3 per cent said that the JLP’s commitment to uplift poor people would be a convincing argument in the campaign, with its next strongest bloc (6.1 per cent) suggesting that exploiting the PNP’s perceived weaknesses was a strong card for the Opposition.

Question:

As we approach a general election, what would you say are the biggest calling cards or successes that the PNP and the JLP will be taking to the public in an effort to convince people to vote for them?

Answers (multiple)

PNP calling cards or successes

Infrastructural development….14.4%

Housing/land policies…………..10.4%

Nothing………………………………..8.8%

Education policies…………………5.4%

Highway 2000/Highways……….4.9%

Employment/salary increases for policemen/nurses…………………..3.5%

Continuity of policies/

achievement………………………….3.0%

The ability to pay me to vote….2.2%

Don’t know…………………………52.4%

JLP calling cards or successes

1980s successes/better management of economy…10.0%

Upliftment of poor people………8.3%

The PNP’s weaknesses…………..6.1%

Nothing………………………………..6.5%

Increase in employment…………4.9%

Plans for crime reduction……….3.8%

Plans to end corruption………….1.9%

Their ability to pay me to vote..1.4%

Don’t know…………………………58.6%