Dear Editor,

Those of us Jamaicans who continue to hold governments accountable and continue to find the “devil in the details” outlined by our governments, are once again flabbergasted as to the actions and reactions of the present Andrew Holness-led Administration.

A reference point we have to use is the present rhetoric and pointed conversation that the lawlessness, criminality, and corruption in our society are due to past People’s National Party (PNP) administrations.

From a historical perspective, this is so far from the truth. If one should look at the history of of our 13 political administrations since Independence in 1962 the blame should be squarely at the feet of the Jamaica labour Party (JLP), rather than the PNP. So to say that the PNP has no moral or historical authority to call out this Government on lawlessness, criminality and corruption is plain hogwash.

Of the 13 administrations since 1962, the JLP was responsible for six, including 1983-1989 when it ruled as a one party government.

During the formative years of Jamaica as an independent state, the JLP ruled for 17 years of the first 25 years. And, it is the JLP that has ruled for eight and a half of the last 13, so how come the JLP wants to divest and absolve itself of all blame for the social and economic ills besetting our country.

Of the 58 years since Independence the JLP has ruled for 27 1/2 of them and has supplied six of our nine prime ministers. Therefore, it has had enough opportunity to put in the checks and balances to make Jamaica a better place to live, work, invest, and raise families.

As for me, I think crime and corruption have more barefaced, overt, and damning during the last 10 years of our 58 years as an independent nation. And it shows no signs of abating.

We, as a people, must put country before partisan politics and stop seeing crime and corruption based on the colour of a particular political party. That is what the scamps want when we hide behind loyalty to a political party, rather than call out the things we see wrong and ask for reforms.

If today’s newspapers and electronic news clips reached the graves of Norman Manley, L G Newland, Donald Sangster, Leopold Lynch, Isaac Barrant, E C L Parkinson, Vivian Arnett, Ivan Lloyd, and others their graves would burst open like a volcano when they see what is happening in Jamaica, land they loved.

Fernandez Smith

Former JLP councillor

fgeesmith@yahoo.com