When the masses think long and hard about something they are usually right. — Napoleon Bonaparte

The LAPOP Lab (formerly known as the Latin American Public Opinion Project) is an international research centre of excellence at Vanderbilt University. One big take away of its 2023 study Pulse of Democracy in Jamaica is that Jamaicans are clearly losing confidence in their democracy.

Jamaicans’ support for democracy decreased from 79 per cent in 2006 to 53 per cent in 2023. Satisfaction with democracy fell from 58 per cent to 28 per cent. Only 17 per cent of Jamaicans believe ballots are always counted fairly, and 86 per cent say ballots are not always secret — the poorest perception of electoral integrity in the region. (
https://www.vanderbilt.edu/lapop/jamaica/ABJAM2023-Pulse-of-democracy-final-20240703.pdf)

This is very counterintuitive. Jamaica has one of the world’s most admired electoral commissions, and no election result has ever been questioned. So why the low level of trust? Yet, when you think about it, Jamaica has not had a national referendum since 1961. So our people have never been directly consulted on anything since Independence 62 years ago. It’s as if politicians don’t care what Jamaicans think about the issues that affect them, and think they are only fit to choose between Tweedle Dee JLP and Tweedle Dum PNP every 5 years or so.

So why should our electorate have any real confidence in our democracy? Why have Jamaicans never been allowed to have any direct say in how they are governed? Why have Jamaican leaders been so afraid to trust their people to decide what they want? Mention referendum, and the ‘higher-ups’ act and talk as if it’s somehow not legal, or not good governance, or not democratic. This attitude is utterly illogical and elitist.

Whatever happened to “of the people, by the people, for the people”? Is it surprising that the more Jamaicans are detached from deciding their own destiny, the more voter turnout declines?

In over 20 years of analysing our politics nothing keeps astounding me more than the difference between the conversations of regular Jamaicans on the ground and those we see and hear in the media and from our politicians. The Government has spent enormous time and energy in crafting a Bill to do away with the monarchy and make Jamaica a republic. Yet very few people on the ground show any interest in ‘moving on’. King Charles’ colour seems to matter as little as Mark Golding’s. One man witheringly dismissed the whole issue: “How would changing the governor general’s title to president improve my life?”

Yet the proposed rearranging the Emanci-pendence holiday structure to create a four-day holiday weekend excited many. Whether it be lazing around or having family abroad visit or going to the beach or partying or partaking in cultural events, most people want the freedom to enjoy four straight non-working days — Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday — as they please.

Now all English-speaking Caribbean countries celebrate Emancipation Day on August 1. Yet it is not a public holiday in most, including Anguilla, Antigua, the Bahamas, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, St Kitts, St Lucia, and the Virgin Islands. Most have a bank holiday on the first Monday in August, called August Monday. In Antigua, the first Monday & Tuesday in August have been holidays since 1957, and their Emancipation celebrations are the most vibrant in the region.

Why can’t a similar setup work in Jamaica? Keep August 1 and 6 as Emancipation and Independence days of commemoration, but not holidays. And declare bank holidays on the first Friday in August and the following Monday. This would create a four-day Emancipendence holiday weekend as the public wishes, while still preserving the significance of Emancipation and Independence days.

Don Anderson’s 2020 scientific poll found 62 per cent in favour and only 26 per cent against this option. This is the only legitimate data point in this debate; all the rest is noise. How can 26 per cent overrule 62 per cent in a free society?

There is a vocal minority in in this country — some jestingly call them the gated complex elites — who seem to believe only me and mine have sense. These folks condescendingly regard the wishes of the ‘down there’ masses as irrelevant. The Emancipendence four-day weekend discussion is only one example of this elitist mentality.

Some quarters are forever demanding that the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) be made Jamaica’s final court of appeal, without any consultation whatsoever with the populace. Could any proposal be more undemocratic in conception?

Opposition Leader Mark Golding is insisting that he will not support the Government’s Bill to abolish the monarchy unless, at the same time, it replaces the Privy Council with the CCJ — glaringly ignoring the Jamaican final court option. The obvious solution to this endlessly boring ‘cass cass’ is to hold a referendum.

In his 2014 budget speech, then Opposition Leader Andrew Holness said” :”The Government could resolve many key national issues by allowing the people to vote in a grand referendum on issues such as Jamaica’s final appeal court, ganja, abortion and buggery laws, and abolishing the monarchy.” In my view such a grand referendum would be a very good way to both settle the monarchy and Privy Council issues and reconnect Jamaica’s faltering democracy with the Jamaican masses.

Independent Jamaica has never had a referendum. The UK has had three since 1975. Legally there is no constitutional requirement in Britain to hold a national referendum on any issue. However, the UK Mother of Parliaments is free to legislate through an Act of Parliament for a referendum to be held on any question at any time. Presumably the same also applies to Westminster Jamaica.

Giving all Jamaicans the opportunity to decide for themselves on the national issues they consider important could revive the sense of empowerment felt when we became an independent nation in 1962. Let us settle these debates, at least for the next generation.

Dr Andrew Brogad should show he is a man of his word and let the Jamaican people decide their own destiny.

Kevin O’Brien Chang is an entrepreneur and public commentator. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or kob.chang@fontanapharmacy.com.