Dear Editor,

Jamaica is yet again at a pivotal point in its development and just like a ship on stormy seas, it needs a captain to steer it skilfully yet wisely.

The nation has been sold a dream of prosperity, almost resembling a land flowing with milk and honey. The promise is not just delayed and denied, but it is also dead. It is time the ruling party admits to the country the many failures.

Almost every single ministry under this ruling party has had some corruption surrounding it. How long shall the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) continue to milk the exhausted cow? The promised prosperity has become actualised austerity and the real issues and root causes of the nation’s dilemma are not being addressed.

The majority of the 38 per cent of eligible voters in 2020 chose the JLP to lead the country for a second-consecutive term and it has turned out to be an absolute disaster. Accountability within the Andrew Holness- led Administration is so low that it is almost non-existent. A strong message needs to be sent that corruption and the wanton misappropriation of public funds is no longer tolerable.

The impoverished among us have suffered greatly through this pandemic as great emphasis was placed on stabilising a declining economy. How well is that going? Who is benefiting? Pandemic-weary people have become depressed, whilst the Government is still running simulations that continue to return failed results, thus proving Albert Einstein’s definition of insanity true.

Now, who is there to rescue the nation from this impending catastrophe? Is the people’s Robin Hood out there somewhere? The future of the country has been thwarted over and over again, and whilst we can’t fix the past, something can be done about the present that will impact the future.

The JLP has control over the central governance of the country and you can judge for yourself how that is going. Must they be allowed to continue to control local government too? Is it wise to grant to one party total autonomy of both arms of Government? It seem only logical that a balance be established, especially since there has been a plethora of signs and indications that absolute power is starting to corrupt absolutely.

The People’s National Party (PNP) is emerging, under the leadership of Mark Golding, as a viable Opposition in waiting. Mark has a track record behind him, one of the utmost integrity and, if there existed anything dirty on him, it is fair to say that the nasty politics that is engrained in our culture would have brought it out a long time ago. He stood his ground in the political fire and has come out even stronger than he went in and thus the PNP is now “Stronger Together” under his leadership. He is already on a mission of championing the people’s cause and has tabled and is looking to table a number of private member’s Bills in Parliament.

The JLP has been weighed in the balance and found wanting by the people.

The PNP has learnt the lesson and is pledging to be better and to do better by and for the people. It is time the PNP be reassessed by the electorate as a people’s leader has emerged from among the ranks and is at the helm of the ship.

There will be many distractions and persuasive tactics employed and deployed by those in power and with the will to do so. Heightened vigilance is advised in this time lest the country goes down a dangerous road as being complicit in its own demise. Now, it is clear as day that the race for the ownership of local government is about to begin and the electorate is shouting in the Jamaican dialect, “On yuh Mark!”

Joseph Willis

willisjoseph92@yahoo.com