Dear Editor,

When Bruce Golding put Opposition members in charge of committees of Parliament it was applauded as being a significant step in the so-called deepening of our democracy — whatever that rubbish means — and greater transparency in Government oversight. I never agreed with it then, and seeing how it has transpired over the years, I am even more convinced it was a very bad idea.

I am certain, though, that when Golding instituted it he envisioned a normal, decent, and responsible Opposition. That is not what we have these days. What we have seen time and time again with the current set of Opposition chairmen is the wholesale politicisation and tarnishing of countless hard-working people’s reputations; people who have given their time, energy, and intelligence to advance this nation and have often contributed to this country more than the Opposition members have ever and will ever.

It’s time to rethink this whole approach to the chairmanship of these committees. Time to reign them in!

It cannot be that Opposition members use the cover of parliamentary privilege to attack without basis the character of many hard-working Jamaicans who do not have any recourse whatsoever after their good names have been dragged through the mud. When you watch parliamentary committees these days you can see the desperation of the Opposition members. They are not the least bit interested in knowing the truth about anything. They are about grandstanding. And they know, they have the media to promote them each night, no matter how outlandish their accusations and innuendos are against anybody.

Yes, you will hear some in media and civil society bleating that any move to rein in these out-of-control dimwits is undermining our democracy and threatening transparency, and that if the Government doesn’t have anything to hide it must allow full transparency, etc. This is foolishness!

To have transparency you don’t need Opposition members controlling committees of Parliament. To deepen our democracy — as the buzzword now is — you don’t need Opposition members controlling committees. It’s all a fallacy.

In my view, you don’t need the type of Opposition we have in Jamaica to make democracy work. Democracy works best when you have strong institutions and an involved public. The Opposition we have is nothing more than a tragic and useless distraction.

If we are serious about democracy, the Opposition should be told in no uncertain terms to knock off the grandstanding for political gain.

Why on earth are these politically desperate Opposition members setting the agenda for these committees? That’s tantamount to God allowing the Devil to set the agenda of worship in heaven.

The agenda of these committees should be set based on what is referred to them by Parliament. You can’t have committees going on a frolic of their own, as we have seen, where chairmen push their own personal and political agendas all under the guise of holding Government to account. That’s absurd! Rein them in!

The idea-less Opposition simply wants to distract from the successes of the Government. Just take note, the unemployment rate has been at its lowest in decades. The national debt is under 100 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP). We now have very low interest rates. Consumer confidence is at a record high. Crime is down over 20 per cent overall. Tourism arrivals are at record levels. Tourist spending is higher than any time before. And I could go on and on.

Rein in the Opposition!

Fabian Lewis

tyronelewis272@gmail.com