“Give the people what they want” is not necessarily the best way to run a country. It is perhaps better to give them what they need, but in a parliamentary democracy such as Jamaica’s, wherein political parties have to win elections in order to retain or gain power, wants can very often supersede needs. And, in a scenario in which there are two tribes that seem to be perpetually at war over scarce benefits and spoils, the greedy stands to benefit more than the needy.

Then again, it may well be a Catch-22 situation — damned if you do and damned if you don’t — whereby good governance becomes the major casualty as our politicians tend to want to appeal to the lowest common multiple. In this our 62nd year of having attained political independence, most well-thinking citizens would have hoped that the critical issue of good governance would be put on the front burner, but from all indications, the “run-wid-it” mentality remains all pervasive as there already has been talk on the ground about winning the next general election “by any means necessary”.

With the “silly season” upon us, one would have thought that greater emphasis would have been placed on good governance rather than just pursuing a path of rabid politicking that has already seen both Comrades and Labourites trading verbal blows, which, if not checked, could lead to physical confrontations and even bloody, violent encounters on the hustings.

In a previous article, this writer appealed to Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) leader and Prime Minister Andrew Holness to tone down on the vitriolic rhetoric and focus more on policies, programmes, vision, and track record. People’s National Party (PNP) president and Opposition Leader Mark Golding should do likewise. But, in his case, there is the vexing issue of his colour and ethnic background being used against him in order to question his legitimacy to lead the PNP as well as his aspiring to become prime minister.

Labourites will argue that Comrades used Edward Seaga’s ethnicity to tar and feather him, hence the popularisation of that song My Leader Born Ya, but, as Golding has argued, this practice flies in the face of our national motto, “Out of Many, One People.” We are a multi-racial society, so any racially charged attempts to disqualify anyone to hold political office in this country is hypocritical and must be seen as cheap, narrowly partisan one-upmanship. If the DNA of many Jamaicans were to be fully analysed, many of us would be amazed to find out that we have strains of other races in our blood, given that there was great intermingling between slave owners and African female slaves, which led to a proliferation of mixed breed Jamaicans.

I myself have discovered that my great-great grandfather was an Irishman who sojourned in Treasure Beach, St Elizabeth. Have you noticed how that parish has many “fair-skinned” people? So, Everald Warmington and Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn (both of whom, like most of us, have European names), are barking up a wrong tree. And Prime Minister Andrew Holness should have the testicular fortitude to tell them and others so inclined to cease and settle! That is what good governance is all about.

In this vein, our politicians, as well as the general citizenry, ought to acquaint themselves with the tenets of good governance. A
Google search reveals: “Good governance is a concept that refers to the political and institutional processes that are necessary to achieve development goals. It’s also about creating a culture that encourages an organisation (such as a political party or Government) to be accountable, professional, and achieve the best for its members.”

Good governance must be consensus-oriented, participatory, follows the rule of law, effective and efficient, accountable, transparent, responsive, equitable, and inclusive. Can this current JLP Government or PNP governments of the past pass such a litmus test?

It is time that Jamaicans demand more of their political leaders and stop being blind loyalists and genuflecting sycophants. Good governance can be achieved by protecting human rights, enforcing laws impartially, being transparent and accountable, being democratic, improving public sector efficiency, and tackling corruption.

Regrettably, civil society, inclusive of the private sector, has failed so far to courageously take the bull by the horns and seek to put the whole business of good governance at the forefront of national development.

At this critical point in our history, when both the ruling (not sufficient to say “governing”) JLP and the Opposition PNP will be going to the people by September of next year — could be earlier — asking for their votes, good governance remains an endangered species. Indeed, Prime Minister Holness seems to be more preoccupied with “handouts” rather than focusing in a more meaningful and sustained way on good governance practices. The PNP, in the meantime, is chomping at the bit to be first past the post, but is yet to sufficiently convince the wider electorate — not just its followers — that the ultimate quest is primarily to instil good governance in the nation and not just to be into the driver’s seat when it comes to “handouts”.

This writer is well aware that these remarks will ruffle feathers, and even anger some individuals who refuse to see the forest from the trees, but who will hesitate to dare to climb the tallest tree and say, “Wrong jungle!” Who, because of a narrow, partisan outlook, will refrain from looking at the bigger picture but it is incumbent on every patriotic Jamaican to call a spade a spade, to bell the cat, and to say loud and clear, “Enough is enough!”

We desperately need transformational leadership, not self-aggrandisers or would-be petty dictators. We need leaders who truly put the country first, not their party; who are unrepentantly committed to the truth that all Jamaicans, regardless of their socio-economic status or political persuasion, have a right to be an integral part of Vision 2030, a dream that can only become a reality if they embrace the pursuit of good governance, not just revelling in “handouts”.

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 Jamaica Observer or lbsmith4@gmail.com.