Political promises are much like marriage vows. They are made at the beginning of the relationship between candidate and voter, but are quickly forgotten.

— Dick Gregory

“THE PNP has oiled up its propaganda machine and is rolling full-speed ahead. All kinds of manna from heaven — and some doubtless from hell — are and will be promised. After another four years of abysmal failure all ‘good things’ are suddenly being said to be hovering on the horizon.”

“PNP General Secretary Paul Burke fired the first salvo, suggesting that there will be a local government election by June. The ‘birdies’ tell me this is part of the PNP’s plan to put on trial, before the real date and time, the organisational machinery of the JLP. Burke seems to be saying, ‘Now let it work. Mischief, thou art afoot. Take thou what course thou wilt.'” — William Shakespeare (Sunday Observer, February 15, 2015)

A couple weeks ago, and even before that a couple months ago, I pointed out that the PNP was about to launch a grand rescue plan “patterned on how Romans emperors would create massive distractions [the games at the colosseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre] whenever the empire was threatened”. (December 28, 2014)

The rescue plan has indeed been launched. It is conspicuous. Only the politically blind and those who are brain dead can’t see it.

Ministers who have done little else, but sit on their laurels for the last three years, have had their variant energy drink mixes and/or dosages of political Viagra and are now on the prowl. I suspect they will soon start kissing babies and eating chicken back from the pots of denizens [that’s how most of them regard us not as citizens] who hitherto were treated as lepers, mendicants and disposables.

The narrative of a plurality of recent Government releases, pronouncements, and utterances are especially laughable, but tragically so. Why? Simply, we have travelled this road before; multitudinous promises that, like bag juice, quench immediate thirst.

The narration is packed full of familiar trinkets being dangled by a Government whose primary political focus is patterned on Pavlov’s conditioning experiment. Sad, too many of us continue to salivate at the rank failure of a party that has been in power for 21 of the last 25 years.

I present a few examples of the ‘three-card’ formula used on a generally unsuspecting, gullible and sedate populace. Note the excerpts well. The ‘project[s]’ will happen; not that they have happened, but will. This electioneering strategy plays perfectly into

a national propensity to celebrate announcements and not achievements.

‘Sugar workers in Westmoreland expected

to get 2, 850 housing solutions’

“The Government will be providing some 2,850 housing solutions for sugar workers in the parish of Westmoreland, with 861 to be completed this year.

“Minister of Agriculture, Labour and Social Security Derrick Kellier, made the announcement at a special press briefing on Thursday at the western offices of the prime minister in Montego Bay. Kellier said that of the houses to be delivered this year, 650 will be situated in Hertford/Morass; 85 in Shrewsbury; six in Braham; 70, Masemure; and 50 in Yeast Plant.

“He pointed out that the Government recognises the need to transform sugar-dependent areas and provide improved housing for estate workers and their families.” (Observer, February 7, 2015)

If you believe that this is not obviously part of the electioneering conditioning of a failed Administration then you probably believed this nursery rhyme at basic school:

“Hey! diddle, diddle,

The cat and the fiddle,

The cow jumped over the moon;

The little dog laughed to see such sport.

And the dish ran away with the spoon.”

‘Trelawny’s

multi-billion-dollar water system unveiled’

“The Government is projecting that some $6.5 billion will be spent on upgrading water supply in Trelawny, ultimately resulting in 93 per cent of the

parish’s population being supplied by 2030.

“According to Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change Robert Pickersgill, the ambitious programme is also aimed at reducing non-revenue water by 30 per cent and improving water-supply service reliability.” (Observer, February 17, 2015)

‘Downtown Kingston Victoria Pier property

to be developed’

“The Urban Development Corporation (UDC) has concluded arrangements with Yosamini Holdings Limited to lease the Victoria Pier Building located on the Kingston waterfront for 25 years.

“The waterfront property once housed a popular restaurant, nightclub and launching pier for harbour tours among other entertainment activities. Similarly, Yosamini Holdings Limited has proposed to transform the property into an ‘A’ class restaurant with lounge, sports-gaming facility, art gallery, and outdoor entertainment area.” (Observer, February 11, 2015)

Haven’t we heard this before? Electioneering.

‘Tourism Ministry committed to upgrading public beaches’

The Minister of Tourism and Entertainment Dr Wykeham McNeill announced at a recently held forum in Montego Bay, St James, that 14 beaches across the island are being targeted for initial development under the ministry’s programme to create recreational public spaces.

The project aims to develop and provide public beaches with recreational facilities to which locals and visitors alike will have unrestricted access, free of cost.

The upgraded beach facilities are expected to provide the following: children’s play areas; seating with tables; picnic areas and gazebos; restrooms and changing rooms; adequate parking; lifeguard towers; and utilities, inclusive of running water and electricity. (Observer, February 17, 2015)

‘Government to establish poverty committee to address economic fallout’

“The Government says a poverty reduction committee is to be created to deal with fallouts caused by austerity measures as a result of Jamaica’s economic reform.

“Finance Minister Dr Peter Phillips made the announcement during a special press briefing this morning at Jamaica House on deliberations that took place at last Thursday’s Cabinet retreat. He notes that decision came out of a focus on the social safety net in light of the reform programme with the International Monetary Fund.

“He says that the basic elements of the economic reforms programme should be sustained to continue on the path of debt reduction and to unlock growth in the economy.

“However, Phillips adds that it was also decided that more attention is needed in relation to ramping up more growth in the economy.” (Gleaner, January 26, 2015)

This was the second committee to be ‘set up’ in two years. Here is the evidence.

‘Government to set up poverty reduction unit’

“Cabinet has authorised the establishment of a National Poverty Reduction Unit [PRC] as the country continues to grapple with rising unemployment and poverty levels.

“The decision was

disclosed by minister with responsibility for information, Sandrea Falconer, at a

post-Cabinet press briefing yesterday. She said the unit will be located at the Planning Institute of Jamaica.

“She also said an announcement on the Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme (JEEP) would be made in Parliament before the end of the month.

“Yesterday, Finance Minister Dr Peter Phillips disclosed that the Government has identified

$4 billion to fund the programme. However, the finance minister was not

clear about the source of

the money.” (Gleaner, February 9, 2012)

Where is the evidence that the work of the first committee to reduce poverty? Was it even set-up? Pavlov’s classical conditioning is at work here.

If you believe that this is

not obviously part of the electioneering conditioning of a failed Administration then you believe ‘the dish ran away with the spoon’.

It was Adolf Hitler who said: “Through clever and constant application of propaganda people can be made to see paradise as hell, and also the other way round, to consider the most wretched sort of life as paradise.”

Should Andrew Holness resign?

On the matter of propaganda, a fair bit of nonsense has been spoken recently about whether the Leader of the Opposition Andrew Holness should resign. Two Fridays ago the Constitutional Court ruled that the actions of Holness, in removing Dr Christopher Tufton and Arthur Williams from the Senate, was unlawful and a breach. PNP political hyenas have latched onto this ruling since. For them it represents political blood, and within the competitive arena of political gamesmanship I understand their motivation. I will not waste time here re-arguing the tenets of the case, others have done that ad nauseam. Instead, my focus is the germ of the argument of those who are calling for Holness’s head against the background of similar constitutional breaches by past PNP regimes.

Holness broke the law and should resign. This is the crux of their argument. Let’s examine two cases to test whether this call is rooted in a quest for good governance or rank political opportunism.

“Political Electioneering”

“Rather than upbraid the prime minister, the People’s National Party (PNP) should have kept a discreet silence on the matter of P J Patterson saying that the law should not be regarded as a shackle. All they have done is to reopen the wound inflicted on society when the then prime minister unlawfully declared a public holiday. The ill-considered act disrupted every planned activity and cost the country severe losses in productive activity.

In 1997, Mr Patterson, overwhelmed by Jamaica’s performance in World Cup football, got his Cabinet to declare a public holiday in defiance of the Holidays Act. By his party’s own reasoning, every member of that Cabinet was responsible for breaking the law; and the group included some of the eminent attorneys who still seem to be defending it.

The Government did not apologise for what could have been explained as an error born of exuberance in an electioneering season.” (November 24, 2011)

Did Patterson resign? Did any of the eminent lawyers in his Cabinet who participated in the breaking of the law resign?

Bombshell ruling: Privy Council says passage of CCJ unconstitutional

“The Government is standing firm on its vow to establish the controversial Caribbean Court of Justice [CCJ] as the nation’s final court of appeal, despite yesterday’s ruling by the United Kingdom-based Privy Council that the Government’s handling of the process last year, where the CCJ bills were passed in Parliament, was unconstitutional.

Reacting to the ruling, Prime Minister P J Patterson said that the Government’s legal team was completing its analysis of the judgement delivered by the British law lords and that Cabinet will consider the matter fully on Monday.

”The Jamaican Government remains committed to the establishment of the CCJ as our final appellate court.’ Patterson said.

‘The Government intends to take the necessary steps arising from this decision to honour our commitment to the Jamaican people and our partners in the region.’

The prime minister’s statement came after Government officials scrambled yesterday to come up with a response to the obviously disappointing ruling, which was delivered at about 5:00 am.

In its ruling, the Privy Council declared that the three CCJ-related companion bills passed by Parliament last year were unconstitutional and therefore, void.” (Gleaner, February 4, 2005)

Did Patterson resign? Did any of the eminent lawyers in his Cabinet who participated in the breaking of the law resign?

The calls for Holness to resign must be seen for what they are — raw political opportunism.

If you believe that this is not obviously part of the electioneering conditioning of a failed Administration, then the cow did jump over the moon.

If a majority of the membership/rungs of leadership of the JLP have confidence in the continued leadership of Holness it is their right so to do. When the elections are called they will prove whether their collective judgement was misplaced. For those PNP hyenas calling for Holness to quit, you need to understand that it’s called democracy stupid!

Jamaica has bigger problems which need to occupy our minds and energies. Among these: our murder rate, one of the highest in the world; 140 Jamaicans have been slaughtered in less than two months; an economy which cannot achieve more than ‘numbers on a page economic growth’; a health system where, according to the professional heads, does not have enough blood pressure machines, Panadol, beds, medical personnel; a fire and police service which does not have basic equipment.

Two recent studies have shown that 50 per cent of Jamaicans, doubtless inclusive of many of our best and brightest, want to leave Jamaican like yesterday. Why? Thousands upon thousands cannot get jobs, cannot take care of their families, cannot meet their daily obligations. Thousands no longer want to be Jamaican. Those are the crux of our problems. Those are the issues that need to stick in our craw. There is unprecedented suffering in Jamaican. Additionally, what this country needs is a radical overhaul of the rules [our constitution] that govern us.

Elections belong to the people. It’s their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters.

— Abraham Lincoln

Garfield Higgins in an educator and journalist. Comments to higgins160@yahoo.com