The story is told about Sir Winston Churchill who was known for his sharp wit, dismissing a waitress who had just placed a cake on the dining table in the following manner: “Madam, take away this cake, it has no theme!” The ruling Jamaica Labour Party which came into power on wings of great promises appears to have become a rudderless ship and its captain, pardon, “driva”, Bruce, seems to have lost his bearings. As a result, an increasing number of well-thinking Jamaicans have been saying, “Away with the green brigade, it has no theme!”

The bitter irony is that, notwithstanding the JLP’s wobbly status, if a general election were to be called tomorrow, the Opposition People’s National Party which is grossly underfunded and not sufficiently organised, would lose. And the JLP knows this. That is why there has been a growing amount of arrogance and “could not care a damn” attitude coming from Jamaica House and Belmont Road because, come hell or high water, the Jamaican electorate is not too keen at this time to change course. What it wants is for the JLP leader and prime minister to take a crash course in effective and decisive leadership.

The PNP, in the meantime, having smelled blood, has been feverishly trying to get itself into election mode. And there is nothing wrong with that stance, basically. After all, any Opposition party that is worth its salt ought to be election-ready at all times. But is being election-ready the same thing as being truly a government-in-waiting? Methinks there is a subtle difference. Indeed, that is exactly what happened to the JLP in 2007. It was election-ready but from all indications, based on what has transpired since September 2007, it was not a government-in-waiting but a motley crew of hungry, angry power seekers. Getting power is one thing; what is even more critical and important is what one does with that power, bearing in mind that, according to Lord Acton, “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

Of course, one should not use a broad brush to paint the JLP in terms of its incompetence and inability, perceived or otherwise, to avoid so many foul-ups, bleeps and blunders almost daily. Hard-working ministers such as Ed Bartlett and Andrew Holness have clearly indicated by their performance that they did their homework and were ready from day one to hit the ground running. Tourism has been holding its own on the socio-economic landscape and despite the salary dispute with teachers, it is fair to say that the country’s education train is on the right track. Undoubtedly, many of the people who are fed up with the Golding-led administration are still prepared to vote for the JLP, against this background. In such a scenario, should Golding resign, an Andrew Holness at the helm with Ed Bartlett as his deputy could substantially raise the JLP’s stocks, but the members of the old guard, even though they have now secured their pensions, are full of envy and jealousy, so it will not take much for the long knives to be pulled out. And history has shown that certain elements in the JLP can be quite adept at “whodunits”.

Meanwhile, the JLP’s greatest liability at the moment is Bruce Golding who only a short while ago was seen as its greatest asset. O cruel Fate! Here is a man who insisted in his other political life a la National Democratic Movement that garrison politics should be abhorred and obliterated from the Jamaican body politic, now being a victim of that same ignominious system, which he foolishly and ill-advisedly embraced, by way of the Christopher “Dudus” Coke extradition impasse with the US State Department. One can only imagine that as he whips up some delectable dish in his kitchen of despair and depression, the prime minister must be cursing his once lucky stars!

Nationally and internationally, Mr Golding has lost a great deal of credibility and has not gained much in stature because of this extradition matter and its attendant side effects that have seen him painting himself into a corner. Contrary to what appears on the surface, the JLP is in tremendous internal turmoil, because how does it totally turn its back on the number one strongman in its number one stronghold? The real politick would insist that “parson should not only christen ‘im pickney first”, but should “take care of ‘im pickney first”. But then, Golding should do the right thing, even if it means that he turns out to be a one-term prime minister or has to go into exile. This would see the beginning of the end of garrison politics, and generations of Jamaicans to come would call him blessed. Indeed, that’s the stuff national heroes are made of. After all, he brought all of this on himself in his greed for power. But is he man enough?

In such a setting, the JLP leader is damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t in the eyes of his supporters and detractors. One of my concerns is that so many Jamaicans continue to or want to believe that the Dudus affair is solely a JLP/Golding problem. Initially it was, but it has now become Jamaica’s problem. Let’s face it, whatever the outcome, it will have far-reaching and lasting effects on us as a people. Not just Golding or the JLP, as is being posited. In the interim, however, the political fallout will have deleterious consequences for the JLP even as Golding loses the moral high ground and his ability to lead becomes more and more tenuous.

And what can the PNP do while the JLP clearly pursues a self-destructive path? The Manatt, Phelps and Phillips imbroglio has made the PNP’s Dr Peter Phillips the JLP’s current nemesis. Phillips’s image has taken on heroic proportions within and outside the PNP, especially as he comes with some amount of credibility after his stint as national security minister when he presided over the rise and fall of alleged PNP strongman Zeeks, among other tough decisions. It remains to be seen whether or not this meteoric rise in his stocks will tempt him to challenge Portia Simpson Miller again for the PNP leadership.

In the meantime, if the PNP truly wants to be seen as a government-in-waiting, then it must be fully prepared to dismantle all garrison constituencies, if it regains power. Enough said!

lloydbsmith@hotmail.com