The abolition of the so-called political garrisons should be done post-haste. But there needs to be a systematic way to do this because we are dealing with human beings. At the macro level, we should collectively call for proportional representation to replace constituency representation, which is at the heart of the Westminster model that we use. Proportional representation is a very long way from being a perfect system but it would cancel the need for garrison constituencies.

The next thing that needs to be done is that the garrison areas must be turned into co-operatives where the residents own businesses and even the sports complexes. A co-operative is a business which is owned by its members. It elects a managing committee and an audit (or supervisory committee). Credit unions, which are financial co-operatives, also have credit committees, but not relevant to service co-operatives like the ones being suggested by me.

How do you fast-track the needed co-operative training in such communities? One does this by ensuring that some of the leaders are players of sports like football or netball. These are co-operative sports that teach teamwork, unlike athletics, except for relays. The original purpose of Jamaica Welfare (which evolved into the Social Development Commission) was for rural development and did not concern itself with urban development until the 1960s.

Jamaica Welfare was founded in 1937 out of the banana crisis of the era. National hero Norman Manley was the attorney for the Jamaica Banana producers Co-operative for the 1920s. At that time banana was the economic mainstay of Jamaica, having taken over from sugar cane. This was when bananas became the economic mainstay in the late 19th century. In the 1930s, a plant disease destroyed the banana industry in Jamaica, and the rural folk poured into Kingston in droves.

So Norman Manley wrote the United Fruit Company and negotiated an endowment for the workers. For every bunch of bananas placed on a Unifruitco boat, a penny was given towards Jamaica Welfare which went into rural development to entice the rural folk to stay in the rural areas to plant bananas. A penny in 1938 would be the rough equivalent of about $500 today.

One method employed by Jamaica Welfare to put the Unifruitco endowment to good use was co-operative agricultural businesses. Today we need to channel that co-operative energy into the urban areas, especially in the garrison constituencies. And by urban areas I mean and include, along with Kingston and St Andrew, Spanish Town in St Catherine, May Pen in Clarendon and Montego Bay in St. James.

If the urban garrison areas become co-operatives, then Kingston can be rebuilt as a tourist destination. Then the re-development plans for Kingston could work with everyone involved. If there is wholesome Jamaican entertainment which tourists can enjoy, and if the ordinary people understand that the tourists are their bread and butter, they will take care of them.

In a perverse sort of way, it could very well be the dons who keep the tourist industry going. If drug mules come to Jamaica disguised as tourists, as we read and hear in the media, wouldn’t the dons tell the “shottas” to leave the tourists alone in case they interfere with their agents? Yes, it is sad if our tourist industry really depends on this.

But there is in fact one thing that we can learn from that, if this is so.

If the cruise boats come into Kingston and the ordinary people know that they will get direct benefits, they will make sure that the tourists are safe. And if the cruise boats come in, there could be entertainment all over Kingston. The government’s role would be to ensure that Kingston is clean and tidy. This is how one develops people after the abolition of the garrisons. And the garrisons will not come to an end until there is proportional representation.

And there will be no proportional representation until a majority of Jamaicans strongly demand it. The politicians will not do it by themselves since the current system has maintained them in power. Tivoli Gardens is an important part of the political organisation of the Jamaica Labour Party. Its residents are used to mobilise voters to vote JLP in elections. This mobilisation is not confined to the Corporate Area but extends throughout Jamaica.

If Tivoli Gardens residents are angry with their member of parliament and JLP leader Bruce Golding who is also the prime minister of Jamaica, then with the People’s National Party it would be two disorganised political parties running. In such a scenario, if general elections were called now voter turnout would be very low and the PNP could win by default. But if the PNP wins an election and does not see to things like changing political garrisons into co-operative empowerment, then once again it will be clear that the real difference between the two major political parties is really in the spelling.

ekrubm765@yahoo.com