Recently, a concerned Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Member of Parliament expressed alarm at the terse response he received from a female constituent after he boasted to her about the repaved road he had gifted her community. Without batting an eyelid, she said to him, “Asphalt cyaa nyam!”

This retort epitomises the growing wave of discontent pervading the Jamaican landscape as disgruntled and disenchanted Jamaicans continue to express their disapproval of the Andrew Holness-led Government, in terms of its deliverables. On just about every shop corner, inside bars, on the streets, around domino tables, and in villages the comments aimed at “Brogad” emanating from would-be voters and those sitting on the fence are unfavourable and far from complimentary.

This scenario is a reflection of recent polls which have revealed that the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) is surging ahead, leading the JLP in leaps and bounds. This must be very worrying to the ruling JLP, as in their estimation the Government has been doing a tremendous job in handling the country’s affairs. Billions of dollars are being spent and are to be spent on infrastructural development; unemployment is down; the macroeconomic indicators are impressive; tourism is booming; crime is trending down; and in their estimation, just about everything is coming up roses. But are they?

It has been said that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. In the 1989 General Election, the ruling JLP, led by a hard-working Edward Seaga, was more than confident that it would be returned to power when the dust settled. After all, the PNP had been savagely dispensed with in 1980 when the JLP captured a 51 t0 nine majority, sending Michael Manley and his hapless Comrades into the political wilderness.

The plot further thickened when in 1983 Seaga pulled a fast one in the wake of the Grenada Revolution, which intensified the anti-communist sentiments in the country and the Caribbean region, by calling a snap election on an old voters’ list, to which the PNP objected and boycotted the polls, leaving the country to cope with a one-party Parliament.

Spouting much capitalist rhetoric, using such slogans as ‘It takes cash to care’, Seaga continued the gargantuan task of turning the country’s ravaged, no-growth economy around, touting his uncanny ability at fiscal management. Then comes Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, close to the end of his second term in office, and even his most avid critics had to admit that he did a splendid job at restoring the country after that devastating experience. “Mas Eddie” rolled up his shirtsleeves and criss-crossed the island on a daily basis, remaining at the helm of the rehabilitation efforts. Surely a grateful nation should reward him handsomely at the impending polls? But this was not to be.

In the 1989 General Election, with an impressive 78 per cent voter turnout, the Seaga-led JLP was soundly thrashed by the PNP, which picked up 45 of the then 60 seats. And, as they say, the rest is history. The PNP would go on to stay in office for the next 18-and-a-half years!

Against this backdrop, my advice to JLP leader and Prime Minister Andrew Holness would be to “Tek sleep mark death”. Do not underestimate the guile of the Jamaican electorate. Truth is, notwithstanding the many positives, the perception is that there is too much corruption, that only certain fat cats are reaping the benefits of the prosperity bandwagon while the majority of ordinary working-class and poor Jamaicans have to be “sucking salt through a wooden spoon”. And contrary to what some pundits and sceptics may think, among the vexed members of the electorate are Labourites who are not happy because the gravy train has not reached them.

The sad truth is that Prime Minister Holness and his devoted inner circle have retreated into a bubble from which they see things differently from the rest of us who are not prepared to remain in a state of denial. What is even more worrying is that many of them are taking the Jamaican people for granted, believing that by throwing some crumbs at them at the right time as well as “sweet mouth” them, the party can achieve a third term in office. Frankly, it had better rewind and come again!

Smarting from the intense social media attacks on his persona as well as on others of his inner circle and Cabinet, the prime minister has vowed to rein in these “enemies of the State”, which could turn out to be a fatal mistake. After all, the JLP is not guiltless when it comes to using social media platforms to excoriate its adversaries. One recalls that ignominious picture of Portia Simpson Miller’s head attached to a turkey vulture (John crow). To put it bluntly, both parties are guilty as charged, so Holness should be careful how he handles this crisis. His best approach would be to engage the leader of Opposition and PNP President Mark Golding in meaningful dialogue as to how this vexing issue of misinformation, disinformation, and fake news is to be tackled in the best interest of the nation.

In the meantime, it is clear that the JLP’s insistence on a top-down approach to dealing with the people is likely to backfire on it on election day. It is no secret that there are many hungry people out there because of the high cost of living, especially when it comes to food and household items. Simply blaming this on inflation and seeking to find some justification in the fact that this is a worldwide problem will not cut it. A hungry man is an angry man.

And to add fuel to the fire, the people feel that Brogad and his team have become arrogant and are turning a deaf ear to their cries for genuine help. A classic case is the billions being spent in health yet patients are having to sleep on floors or sit up in chairs for hours while some are even dying for want of prompt attention. Indeed, every time another billion-dollar project is announced, the groans of the poor grow louder because it is their belief that, “Them belly full but wi hungry…rain a fail but di dutty tuff.”

Seaga learnt the hard way, will Brogad take heed?

Lloyd B Smith has been involved full-time in Jamaican media for the past 49 years. He has also served as a Member of Parliament and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. He hails from western Jamaica where he is popularly known as the Governor. Send comments to the Jamaican Observer or lbsmith4@gmail.com.