The current Jamaica Labour Party leadership race can be likened to an egg akin to the nursery rhyme which goes like this:

“Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.

All the king’s horses and all the king’s men

Couldn’t put Humpty together again.”

This fragility can be protected and could see the party emerging looking squeaky clean and election ready if the hierarchy handles this succession matter with finesse and care. In such a scenario, one may well see a selection at the National Arena on Sunday, November 20, 2011 in which one individual emerges by consensus as the undisputed leader who would ultimately become prime minister or hopefully, it boils down to a two-horse race which would make it easier for the nearly 5000 delegates to make that momentous decision.

Frankly, it is my view that if there are more than two contenders with the possibility of even going up to seven, then there would have to be several run-offs as no one person may be able to command a decisive majority, and thus have the full confidence and support of the rank and file of the party. This could lead to chaos, confusion and even confrontation on the conference floor.

Then again, this leadership race has put Jamaica’s constitutional arrangements in abeyance, in that, as happened in the People’s National Party leadership race between Portia Simpson Miller and Dr Peter Phillips, it was the delegates who decided for the rest of us who should become prime minister of Jamaica. Should all well-thinking citizens be comfortable with such an arrangement? And in such a case, shouldn’t the new leader immediately call a general election in order to get his or her own mandate? Why should fewer than 5000 people decide who should be the head of government of almost three million people? This most certainly looks obtuse to me.

And as if this was not enough to make a mockery of our parliamentary democracy, Prime Minister Golding, in his national broadcast on Sunday, went on an electioneering binge seeking to set the stage for a JLP victory at the polls on the basis of youth. Then again, I have always wondered if for any self-serving reason the elected representatives of the JLP or the PNP may one day pull a fast one and use their numbers in Parliament to engage the governor general in deciding who should be the first among equals and thus be prime minister.

After all, the Constitution of Jamaica does not recognise political parties and with respect to who should be prime minister, it clearly states as paraphrased by renowned constitutional scholar and advocate Dr Lloyd G Barnett in his book The Jamaican Constitution – Basic Facts and Questions that: “The Government which is in office comes to an end when Parliament is dissolved for a new general election to be held. As we have seen, the life of Parliament is fixed at a maximum of five (5) years but the Prime Minister may call the Elections at any time before the end of that period if he thinks it suits him.”

He goes on to say that “The Governor General must appoint as Prime Minister, the member of the House of Representatives who is best able to ‘command the confidence of a majority of the members of that House”. In this context, there is the cosmetic or somewhat sinecure position of deputy prime minister which is not a constitutional requirement. And some may well argue, perhaps rightly so, that such a position should be institutionalised so that when a prime minister resigns, his deputy automatically takes over until an election is called. So in this particular case, there would have been a seamless transition with Dr Kenneth Baugh assuming the role of acting prime minister. Against this background, it should become very clear that our current parliamentary democratic system allows for too much manipulation and malfeasance.

It is no secret that leading up to the leadership election delegates will become very special people. They will be wined and dined, pampered and powdered and even paid to carry a certain candidate. And don’t leave out intimidation and other underhanded tactics. That is the nature of our politics. In all of this, big money interests will also play a pivotal role, which means that the democratic process can be scuttled.

It should be recommended that the candidates all declare their assets at this time, as well as make themselves available to the public at large by way of debates and consultations. The Jamaican people must be integrated in this process so that even though it will be left to the delegates, in the final analysis, to decide who they want as the next JLP leader, the electorate should get an early insight into these prospective candidates for the post of prime minister. Will the person chosen be the best choice for the country and party or just for the party or neither?

In this vein, it is not only the JLP that may be Humpty Dumpty sitting on a wall, it could well be Jamaica because between now and when the next general election is called there will be challenging issues to be addressed on the way forward, which should not be confined to a narrow partisan framework more influenced by winning at the polls rather than putting the country on a path to social stability and prosperity. That is why civil society should not just breathe a sigh of relief and sit on its laurels now that Bruce Golding has done the right thing. It must now intensify its calls for better governance, an improved economy and a society in which every Jamaican has the opportunity to become “smaddy”. Neither a prime minister nor a political party can achieve this imperative by themselves. The nation needs all hands on deck with a captain who knows where he or she is going, because if we don’t know where we are going then as was stated in Alice in Wonderland, any road will take us there (or anywhere!)

lloydbsmith@hotmail.com