Dear Editor,

Politics in Jamaica is very strange, as it is based more on personalities and emotions and less on issues. What this means is that notwithstanding Mr Golding’s poor handling of his current nightmare, he may yet wake up and still find himself prime minister in 2013. What would happen though if those who are issues-driven succeed in getting him to resign? Who would be his replacement?

One thing is clear: if Golding is forced out then his replacement would not likely be one from the old stock, as you’ll likely end up swapping “black dawg fi monkey”. Old stock here does not refer to age, but type of politics practised. As many others have expressed, there is worrying mimicking of the old style by the newbies, which means that in such an instance options do not abound. This issue, of course, spans the political spectrum – not many options abound.

I recall Mr Seaga positing the need to understand the two-Jamaica-syndrome, in which presentation he cited Mrs Simpson Miller as of the ilk of a Bustamante, for whom he (Seaga) showed much admiration. I see in this commentary an admiration, an approval even of Mrs Simpson Miller by Mr Seaga. Does Mother Portia really merit this approval? Does she have the heart and mind necessary to raise the bar for Jamaica? Could she be the answer? Perhaps for Jamaica, but certainly not for the JLP. So let’s get back to them and to Mr Golding’s likely replacement.

Somehow Andrew Holness seems to stand out head and shoulders above his counterparts as the logical replacement. He exudes an aura that is of prime-ministerial quality. He is articulate, intelligent, personable, and as I have observed him during press conferences dealing with the Manatt, Phelps & Phillips issue, he is either very shrewd or he simply has character. He is the repository in the JLP of the new breed that we need. But who knows?

Charles Evans

Northern Caribbean University

Mandeville, Manchester

charles.evans@ncu.edu.jm