Dear Editor,

I really do not think either the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) or People’s National Party (PNP) really listen to or respect the plight of the Jamaican people who elect them to office. Each party hopes that its diehard base plus some people on the fence will give them the majority they need to become dictators for each five-year cycle.

So far, our prime ministers and governments have demonstrated that they only really care about their parties and what they can get out of being in power. Their reluctance to declare their actual assets in a timely manner says a lot about their own cronyism and nepotistic behaviour.

Government after Government from the two political parties since 1962 has failed to deliver on the multitudes of promises that they make. Our failing prime minister and ministers of Government are treated as celebrities and media darlings; meanwhile, our children are not doing well in school.

We talk about 60 years of Independence, but from whom? Our king, Charles III? How are we to be independent and have a king of Britain as our head of State. If we had declared ourselves to be semi-independent, then one could say someone was thinking logically.

We have had past prime ministers and senior Cabinet members who, after resigning, gave dismal prognoses of their own parties’ performance.

The other day I was at the automated teller machine (ATM) and a lady using the neighbouring machine was trying to ascertain if her overdue salary was finally in her account. We had a conversation and lo and behold she told me that she was the nurse for the mother of a prominent politician who now sits in the House of Parliament. She says she even has to work on Sundays without being paid double time. Her parting words were that she is seeking other employment

When you ask people on the street who you would consider to be intelligent individuals whether they are seeing a change in Jamaica for the better, they say they have not seen any changes in their lifetime because Jamaicans lack the intelligence to rid our country of these two politically wasted organisations.

There is a simple, simple way to get rid of incompetent leadership my fellow Jamaicans. When you next go to the polls vote for any of the third parties that you see on that ballot. I would love you to vote for mine, but the choice is yours.

It is free and simple, but that free and simple thing that you do on election day will create a storm of change for a better life for you and your family.

Mark Trought

EMERJ

Extraordinary Movement for Equal Rights and Justice

marktrought@gmail.com