AT one level, the muted public response to the Government’s self-serving decision to postpone Local Government elections speaks to widespread doubt regarding the relevance of elected local authorities in 21st century Jamaica.

But also, the public indifference/disinterest reflects the decline in public appetite for all that goes with political hustings.

So that for those with ears to the ground, news of the high percentage of potential voters with no interest in casting a vote should have come as no surprise.

Tens of thousands of adult Jamaicans have long been disenchanted with our two major political parties — effectively declaring ‘a pox on both your houses’. That situation could only have been worsened by the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Government’s appalling bungling of the extradition request for Mr Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke and related issues.

Among many who turned against the People’s National Party (PNP) in the 2007 parliamentary elections because of perceptions of widespread corruption during its 18 years in power, disillusionment with Jamaican politics must now be close to being beyond repair. Yet, like it or not, parliamentary elections are again on the agenda — just over two years away if we are to abide by the Jamaican Constitution.

Indeed, it is not unthinkable that the situation involving dual-citizenship could itself force Prime Minister Bruce Golding to seek a fresh mandate. Note the recent court ruling which deprived the JLP of the NE St Ann seat — reducing its thin parliamentary majority to just three.

So that even before the sense of urgency brought on by the Government’s extradition-related woes, the political parties have been tweaking and oiling their campaign machinery. As it is, the Opposition party has been on the ground seeking to exploit and add salt to JLP wounds, even as it seeks to build morale and basic organisation among its hard core.

The extradition and Manatt, Phelps & Phillips issues have actually served as a balm and a rallying tool for an Opposition that not so long ago was reeling from the aftershocks of Mr Peter Phillips’ challenge to the leadership of Mrs Portia Simpson Miller.

The PNP will be buoyed by the recognition that despite the widespread disenchantment in the lead-up to the 2007 parliamentary elections, the margin of defeat was razor thin, both in terms of seats and votes cast.

The governing party has been claiming success in a number of areas — not least the apparent relative stabilisation of the economy linked to the agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) — following the terrible fall-out of last year. In addition, the much admired debt exchange pact reflects the strong support of the business sector for the Government’s initiatives.

Mr Golding and his Government will be hoping that in the not too distant future, real growth and rising employment will follow. All of which, of course, would translate to votes. But this newspaper suspects that if the JLP is to avoid the ignominy of becoming a one-term government, much will depend on the sustained success of the current anti-crime drive.

The seeming dip in criminal activity since the implementation of the State of Emergency — though limited to Kingston and St Andrew — should be encouragement enough for the Government to push even harder for the dismantling of gangs and criminal fiefdoms.