NEARLY half of the electorate does not believe that the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), if it wins the next general election, will be able to do much that is different or better than the P J Patterson administration.

And for those who say they expect better from the JLP than from the current government, economic management (11 per cent) and job creation (10.3 per cent) are the areas where they believe the Opposition has the edge.

The JLP’s promise to reduce the cost of education by dropping tuition fees at secondary schools also gained traction among voters, as it was seen by 6.1 per cent as something that the JLP would do different and better than the current government, which has promised to phase out the fees by 2005.

On the other hand, the People’s National Party (PNP) government continues to get best ratings from 41 per cent for its performance in road development, influenced, in part, by the Highway 2000 project being undertaken by the French company Bouygues.

The government’s housing and land distribution policy (20.3 per cent), its social infrastructure projects (14.2 per cent), its education and school-related programmes (13.4 per cent) and its motor vehicle/public transportation initiatives are seen as areas of substantial achievements by the government.

But Prime Minister Patterson is still likely to be concerned that over 29 per cent of the people do not believe that his administration has any solid achievements and another 15.4 per cent didn’t know what they were.

These perceptions by the electorate of the achievements by the government, and their expectation of the Opposition should it win power, form part of the findings of a latest poll for the Observer, conducted by the Stone Organisation. Stone did the survey on August 17 and 18, using a sample of 1,202 persons, aged 18 and over, from 40 communities across the island. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus three per cent.

The numbers in these responses do not add up to 100 per cent because of multiple answers by respondents.

In the previous survey in July, Stone had asked voters that, should the JLP win the election, what factors would cause its victory? Then, 17.4 per cent pointed to failures by the administration and another 16.8 per cent said there was a need for a change.

In terms of directly positive reasons that would influence a JLP victory, the biggest bloc, 11 per cent, had said in the July survey, a belief that it could deliver what it promised.

Additionally, the expectation of generally better economic management by the JLP (10 per cent) was one the strong points for the major Opposition party.

In the case of the PNP, the latest Stone findings on what the electorate gives the government most credit for, largely confirm the results of other recent surveys.

In July, for instance, infrastructure and infrastructure-related projects were seen by about 30 per cent, the largest bloc, as the best thing the ruling PNP had going for it.

Prior to that, in February, its performance in infrastructure was seen as the PNP’s best calling card — by 35 per cent.

Despite the fall-out in the Information Technology business, and the failure of Technology Minister Phillip Paulwell to deliver thousands of promised jobs, technology among 5.4 per cent, also showed up as a positive for the ruling party.

There was one seemingly perverse finding of the survey regarding what a JLP victory would be good for — 1.8 per cent said it might hasten the departure of the party’s leader, Edward Seaga.

Question:

The PNP has been in power since 1989 and it has had three straight terms in government. While the PNP is seeking a fourth term, the JLP is seeking to unseat it. In your view, what can the JLP do different to, and better than what the PNP is doing now?

Answers (multiple)

Nothing………………………………………………….44.8%

Better economic management……………………11.0%

Job creation…………………………………………….10.3%

Reduce education cost……………………………….6.1%

Reduce crime……………………………………………3.8%

Assist poor people……………………………………..3.0%

Everything/all areas…………………………………..2.4%

Make Seaga leave……………………………………..1.8%

Produce a better manifesto………………………….1.0%

Spread propaganda/create violence……………..0.8%

Don’t know…………………………………………….21.8%

Stone comment:

Better economic management, a trait which the JLP under Edward Seaga had attached to it during the 1980 to 1989 JLP government, has surfaced again as the number one pulling factor for the JLP. This is followed by job creation, crime reduction and helping the poor.

Question:

One part of the PNP’s campaign pronouncements has been what it calls solid achievements. In what areas of the PNP’s governance have you seen solid achievements?

Answers:

Roads/Highway 2000………………………………41.0%

Nowhere………………………………………………..29.4%

Housing/land distribution…………………………20.3%

Water/electricity supplies/ telephone services……………………………14.2%

Education/building of schools…………………..13.4%

Public transportation improvement/ car importation policy………………………..9.9%

Technology sector……………………………………..5.4%

Assisting poor people………………………………..2.8%

General infrastructural development……………1.8%

Health services…………………………………………1.6%

Don’t know…………………………………………….15.4%

Stone comment:

As in previous polls, the road network and especially Highway 2000 has been a major calling card for the PNP.

Also high on the list are housing/land distribution, utilities and the building of schools/education.