Dear Reader,

I’m appalled at the mediocrity in political life that we have all but accepted as normal, and it is clear that our politicians are satisfied in keeping us exactly where we are. The people of Jamaica have become so conditioned to sub-standard representation that when the main Opposition party of the country decides that it is not engaging in what is perhaps the most important debate of our time, it is reduced to partisan bickering and biases, and in a few days will no doubt become another “nine-day wonder”.

Honestly, I still cannot wrap my head around the fact that the People’s National Party declined the opportunity to engage the government and the country in a debate about the impending IMF agreement. As far as I am concerned, no excuse on earth could suffice for their non-participation in an exercise so crucial to the people of Jamaica.

The debate was not about whether the radical Jamaican Muslim cleric, Abdullah al-Faisal, should be returned to Jamaica or whether Christopher “Dudus” Coke should be extradited to the US – as important as those issues might be to some people. The self-aborted PNP debate was about a pending IMF agreement that is going to affect profoundly the lives of every Jamaican now and for generations to come. It is in essence a debate about life or death – about whether Jamaica will live or die, and the Opposition party chose not to speak.

The excuse that the IMF letter of intent was given to the party only the day before the debate in Parliament is as flimsy as a piece of worn-out fabric. Is the Opposition really telling the people of Jamaica that it was not able to marshal a few people to do a critical review of an 18-page document within 24 hours? What a joke! I suspect that even some of our bright sixth-form students could have carried out the exercise in the time allotted.

But even if one agrees with the PNP apologists and diehards about the lack of adequate preparation time for perusing the letter of intent, what about the myriad of other pressing and debatable issues surrounding the IMF agreement? Is the Opposition telling us that matters such as the debt exchange programme, lowering of interest rates, divestment policy, taxation, public-sector job cuts, among many other critical issues, could not form the basis for a meaningful debate in Parliament, even without the specifics of the letter of intent? What has made it even more embarrassing for the PNP is that the country has since learnt that the only “new” item in the letter of intent is a proposal to increase bus fares.

The excuse that Opposition Spokesman on Finance Dr Omar Davies was unable to deliver the address is even more flimsy, even with the regrettable news of his illness. For an age-old and experienced political party that less than three years ago formed the government of Jamaica for almost two decades, to be reduced to a one-man oratorical show is as ludicrous as it is embarrassing, and it seems to me that the best thing for the PNP to do is to take some time out and engage in soul-searching and some well-needed internal introspection before they “lose it” alltogether.

As if they had not done enough damage to themselves, the PNP then adds insult to injury by appearing to run the young head of the PNPYO Damion Crawford over the coals for the statement he made criticising his own party for their non-participation in the debate. Said the Crawford-led youth arm, “We are of the belief that this display shows the limited level of seriousness with which the country’s affairs are being handled, as well as the continued partisan approach to governance that has crippled our country for years.” One newspaper report said that the PNPYO expressed disappointment “in the performance of our own party”.

Speaking on Nationwide radio last Friday, a subdued-sounding Crawford emphasised the virtues of team work and team spirit. It was obvious that in less than 24 hours he had been taught a tough lesson about the pitfalls and perils of deviating from ‘the team’ and attempting to speak independently.

My own assessment is that if the leadership of the PNP didn’t see the virtues and the imperative in debating the draconian IMF agreement, then we can’t expect that they would have a clue about the shift in the national and global conversation towards truth and honesty, and straightforward politics.

In addition to its obvious disconnect with a rapidly changing youth-driven political environment, the PNP had better be careful that it doesn’t become an irrelevant mouthpiece. While party leaders are no doubt busy castigating the party’s youth arm, the ordinary man on the street is doing what the parliamentarians didn’t do — which is to continue to debate the serious issues surrounding the IMF agreement, thanks to talk shows and newspapers. It is clear that issues such as debt repayment, production and productivity, short and long-term sustainability, social safety nets, and the like, must remain on the debating agenda, with our without the country’s Opposition party. So let’s debate, Jamaica!

With love,

bab2609@yahoo.com