Dear Editor,

I believe one of the People’s National Party’s (PNP) greatest success stories in our modern political history is its ability to demonise Opposition leaders and hound them from office.

The Bruce Golding ‘initiative’ was classic, as the well-laid traps were achieving success, one after the other. PNP supporters were salivating and waiting for the inevitable.

It was during this period that I wrote a warning that any victory gained from this strategy was likely to be short-lived. I suggested that PNP members sit together and do the hard work of presenting the country with credible alternatives that the people could understand and support. For example, instead of conducting research on the nature of our crime problem, a senior officer of the party declared that as soon as “Dudus” leaves there will be significant reductions in the crime problem. Really?

What made all this more unfortunate was that the party was literally loaded with the talent required to provide solutions to every problem facing the country.

Well, the plan went swimmingly as, since the PNP had rendered the country ungovernable, Bruce Golding demitted office. The PNP regained power.

But this was a thoroughly forgettable period, since, as I predicted, that party was woefully unprepared to take office.

The PNP still has bright, talented members, but it seems the party has not learnt the lessons of history. I will respectfully repeat the advice I offered a decade ago: Come together, work on a series of initiatives that address the needs of the people. Present it to them in a way they can understand. Gain their trust.

Is this so difficult?

I say all this because the party continues to try taking shortcuts to Jamaica House. The strategy of choice is character assassination. Granted, it has worked wonders for them in the past. But I will continue to point out that this is myopic at best.

Last Sunday it was Alando Terrelonge’s turn. This time the demoniser is a close associate of the one who made the inaccurate Dudus prediction a decade ago. Then, here is the genius of the strategy. They go to all the media houses ‘apologising’ when what they are really doing is using the media to keep the matter alive.

Edward Seaga once told me that a weak Opposition is a very bad idea. I nodded intelligently, although it was years later that I fully understood what he meant.

Democratic governance is deceptively difficult in a one-party setting.

I would like to urge the PNP, as I did a decade ago, to get off your collective backsides and do what is necessary to function in the political firmament. Opposition is very different from obstruction. In fact, obstruction makes opposition difficult. You have all that is required to do better.

Glenn Tucker

glenntucker2011@gmail.com