THIS newspaper is on record for expressing its displeasure with the way in which hearings of the Dudus/Manatt Commission of Enquiry were conducted.

We believe the grandstanding and political point-scoring detracted from what should have been the true purpose. As we understand it, in simple, summarised terms, the enquiry was meant to arrive at a conclusion as to whether or not Jamaica’s national interest was foremost as the Bruce Golding-led Government set itself to dealing with the extradition request from the United States for former West Kingston ‘don’ Mr Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke. Was Jamaica’s governance corrupted and undermined by the needs of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP)?

But it seems to us that regardless of whether the Commission eventually proves useful in arriving at truth, it will have serious consequences in terms of governance and politics in the period approaching the next parliamentary elections — constitutionally due next year.

With the evidence phase of the enquiry now over, we believe there are one or two conclusions that can be reasonably expressed.

To begin with, we think it will be extremely difficult for Jamaica’s governance to be business as usual with both the attorney general Miss Dorothy Lightbourne and the solicitor general Mr Douglas Leys together. It seems to us from this distance that from a purely practical point of view, either or both will have to go.

We believe the quicker that Prime Minister Bruce Golding and the Public Services Commission take action on this issue the better it will be for everyone.

We won’t go as far as our popular columnist Mr Mark Wignall in suggesting that Mr Golding committed political suicide by establishing the enquiry.

As we have all learnt from history, politics is an extraordinarily quirky business with unexpected events providing undreamt results. And, in the context of Jamaica’s party politics, there remains plenty of time until the next elections.

However, there can be no doubt that in the short term at least the enquiry has further undermined the credibility of a number of Government officials, not least Mr Golding.

Indeed, their sometimes evasive tactics in response to questions have speedily become the butt of ridicule and humour in the folk culture and language with ‘I can’t recall’ featuring strongly. Those who have watched Jamaican politics over many years will recognise that as a dangerous thing for the JLP.

We feel sure that with the use of their own probes and polls, Mr Golding and his party executive will be seeking to determine whether he in fact has a viable chance of leading the JLP to victory in the next elections.

This against the backdrop that separate and apart from Mr Golding’s and the Government’s credibility, the economy remains sorely troubled. And, back in 2007 when the JLP surged to political power it was only by a four-seat majority despite a big swing against the now Opposition People’s National Party (PNP). The PNP, it will be remembered, had been in power for 18 years and was widely believed to have been guilty of excessive corruption and bad governance.

The question keeps coming back: who would be in the best position to unite and lead the JLP into an election should the determination be made that Mr Golding is unviable. Would it be Mr Audley Shaw who has made a relatively good impression as minister of finance? Or would it be one of the young fresh faces?

Any such change could well have a positive impact in terms of the JLP’s credibility. Crucially, too, it would have serious implications for the PNP since the leadership of Mrs Portia Simpson Miller — despite her considerable personal popularity — has been seen as unsatisfactory across varied segments of the society.

We wait.