Dear Editor

Now that the debates have come and gone it almost seems naïve that persons would genuinely think that it should come down to a set of articulations to determine which of the political parties they would cast their votes for in the upcoming general elections on Thursday, December 29, 2011.

It seems to be a ‘pie in the sky’ kind of wishful thinking that the so called ‘intelligent’ among us would attend the opera of debates and listen to the grand orchestra of melodic words that would fill the void of their ego. Following the performance they would applaud based on expectations that somehow the illusion of eloquence and mere rhetoric should decide Jamaica’s future on the eve of a general election. No wonder they find themselves disappointed. That kind of approach could be synonymous with persons planning to attend an event; deciding what to wear based on how convincing the manufacturers spoke about the garment, as if they had no responsibility for trying on the clothes to ensure that it at least fit.

The reality is, at this point in Jamaica’s development whichever political party forms the next Government, it will take all stakeholders to make it work. No one government has ever and will ever have all the answers. Both political parties have always had their strengths and weaknesses. The fact is, after election, rather than coming together with a collective vision for Jamaica both have chosen to remain just ‘government’ and ‘opposition’ and in that context has continued to operate as self-interests groups putting ‘party’ above ‘country’.

In this context, we have a systemic problem that is colourless, classless and creedless. If the truth be told the only real difference between the politicians and the non-politicians is that one operates in the public arena with higher levels of visibility and the other does not.

For those clamouring for more ‘meaningful debates’, it seems that the first step would be to cast aside the notion of expecting debates and debaters to reflect the values and attitudes that have helped to make Jamaica great. Has anyone ever done any research to determine the collective contribution of both parties to national development? Going forward, we can start by insisting that programmes that have been successfully implemented by both administrations should be enshrined in our constitution. A lot of the problems that we are now experiencing can be traced to a lack of continuity of workable programmes which has resulted in the depletion of scarce resources that could have been utilised more effectively in other areas.

Individually and collectively we should hold ourselves to higher standards of accountability. The real debate is not asking what the politicians can do for us, as if expecting them to wave magic wands and play the role of Santa Claus, but what we can do individually and collectively to improve our standard of living on a sustained basis. For those seeking answers from politicians, please remember they are mere facilitators who should represent the will of their constituents.

Jamaicans who plan to cast their votes on election day may not be swayed by debates as their minds have already been made up. They are usually mobilised first and foremost by the legacy of political identity. Disappointing debates or unrealistic expectations. You decide.

Joan Francis

Francisj16@yahoo.com