When the National Democratic Movement (NDM) was founded in 1995 with Bruce Golding as its leader, many persons believed it would put up a formidable challenge to the People’s National Party (PNP) and the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) for state power.

Golding had recently resigned from the JLP after serving the party at various levels and had attracted a number of intellectuals to the organisation.

These included prominent politicians Russel Hammond, Dennis Meadows, Chris Tufton, Gregory Mair, Michael Stern, Brascoe Lee, Daryl Vaz and Joan Gordon-Webley.

The party also was successful in adding to its ranks a wide cross section of other influential persons.

But after contesting three general elections since its formation, the party has failed to win a single seat.

Additionally, the NDM has over the years lost a number of its founding members to both the JLP and the PNP.

In fact, a few of them successfully contested the recent general elections.

In the national polls, the NDM fielded 11 candidates who secured a combined total of 540 votes out of the more than 800,000 polled.

As the number of votes the party gained when it first contested the 1997 general elections continues to dwindle, so too has its membership and the number of candidates it has been fielding.

In the 1997 general election, the party contested 59 of the 60 seats but in 2002 it contested 33 seats.

Now, the party says that it will not be contesting the upcoming local government polls which is expected to be held by year-end.

The party’s general secretary Michael Williams has cited a lack of resources as the main reason for the NDM’s decision not to contest the polls.

The truth is that in recent years, the party has not been able to attract big bucks from the private sector to finance its campaign activities. This undoubtedly has curtailed the members’ ability to spread the party’s message across the island.

But lack of resources aside, it appears that the general feeling in the NDM at this time is that the Bruce Golding-led government has taken a number of initiatives that would indicate that the prime minister is serious about improving the governance and management of the country.

In fact, the NDM has lauded Golding’s announced intentions to give more voice to the Opposition in the Parliament; to put greater emphasis on early childhood education; to improve the justice system and to implement free tuition.

“For the time being, he (Golding) has been going in the right direction. I am very optimistic that they (government) are going to do the right thing, based on their pronouncements,” Williams said.

“A lot of us in the NDM believe that it is not about party, it is about country, so any group that implements the NDM policies then we are happy with that,” added Williams.

So what’s next for the NDM?

Suppose the government continues to implement programmes and policies that are favourable to the group?

Would its members be absorbed by the JLP, rendering the 12-year-old party defunct?

Time will tell.