FORMER Cabinet Minister Dr D K Duncan says that Jamaica has benefited from its political leaders throughout its political history.

“In looking over the sweep of history and the role of leadership in Jamaica’s politics, some good things have been done by some good people. I speak moreso not from an academic point of view of well-read books, but from the experience of being a Member of Parliament,” Duncan said as he delivered the keynote address at the annual Joan Duncan Memorial Lecture, held last Thursday at the University of Technology in St Andrew.

Addressing the topic: ‘Political Leadership: an enabler or disabler to Jamaica’s economic Growth’, Duncan, also a former general secretary of the People’s National Party, said that the early years of Jamaica’s origins and development of that modern political period “brought about a kind of politics in our country, aspects of it which were very negative.

“However, the negative aspects have been recognised over a period of time by both the society and politic leadership. For example, in the 1970s when the People’s National Party had Michael Manley back into office and for a few years, houses were built in Arnett Gardens and, to a large extent, was very populated by supporters of the People’s National Party.

“Few years prior to that the same thing happened in Tivoli Gardens, where housing schemes were built and populated by members of the party that was the Administration at the time,” stated Duncan, a dental surgeon by profession.

He also emphasised that in 1976 Michael Manley, as prime minister, established the National Housing Trust in response to the negative aspects of the country at the time. Fortunately, Jamaican politics has taken a turn for the best after all the negativity in the earlier years, he stated.

“What is encouraging at this point, is that there seems to be a convergence between the two political parties on some fundamentals in relation to macroeconomic stability, which I understand is necessary for growth to occur. This has not been so for many, many years,” Duncan remarked.

Member of Parliament for St Andrew Eastern, Fayval Williams, who was a guest at the event, agreed with Duncan.

“It’s only recently that we have come to appreciate the power of good policy continuity. We just saw that demonstrated with the most recent IMF agreement. We didn’t spend time saying we’re gonna try to negotiate the programme. We came in, picked up, moved on,” she said.

“We recognised the power of confidence when people have confidence in the economy, their confidence in the way things are working. You don’t do anything to destroy that confidence,” she said.

Williams argued that what is happening now is in contrast to what usually happens when a new party takes over.

“I think when parties go into power they tend to want to reverse policies, they tend not to want to continue things that the other side started. So you get a lot of energy being spent reversing something, trying to put something in place. It’s time, energy and money that’s lost. That’s just gone,” she said.

The MP said that reversing initiatives put in place by their predecessors has been an issue throughout Jamaica’s political history.

“It could be something as simple as repainting a school because they don’t like the colour that it was painted. I’ve seen examples of this in my growing up days.

“When I look at the history of Jamaica going back before independence and you look at the various periods of times, the parties that have come in and out helped to manage and guide this country,” she said.

Williams was a member of the panel discussing the country’s political leadership and economic growth.

Rev Jeffery Shuttleworth, who pastors Tarrant Baptist Church, pointed out that God must be at the centre of leadership to help with the growth.

“The most essential resource for development in any nation is a God-fearing, well rounded citizenry whose basic physical needs are adequately met. Their community is governed daily by sustainable values and well- educated populous, while the national affairs are managed by God-fearing leaders of impeccable integrity and moral rectitude, totally committed to human flourishing and the common good,” the reverend said.

Shuttleworth believes that, over the years, Jamaica’s leaders have genuinely pushed the country towards economic growth.

“Political leadership has both enabled and disabled economic growth at different points in our history. I believe that where there is creative tension among three pillars — relationship with God, relationship with the citizens, and also a quality relationship with the private sector, donor agency and external governments — all this undergirded by the Christian values and principles, then we will see political leadership being an enabler rather than disabler,” Rev Shuttleworth stated.