The time has come when both the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) and the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) should set about establishing a contract with the people of Jamaica.

Forget the various manifestos coming from the respective parties, which are all fluff and no substance — promises made, promises, for the most part, not kept. The only way forward is for there to be some kind of national consensus, a shared vision, a common platform on which issues take dominance over personalities.

In recent years it has become obvious that the majority of Jamaicans are fed up with the current political system. General elections have become a bruising fight between diehards of both PNP and JLP, while an overwhelming number of Jamaicans have chosen to remain uncommitted and could not care less about politics.

We have seen this play out in the polls, whereby increasingly fewer and fewer Jamaicans are taking part in the electoral process by exercising their right to vote, for which our forefathers fought hard and long to attain. This type of attitude cannot be good for a fledgling nation that has so much potential yet has remained in the socio-economic doldrums because of the recurring failure of politicians at good governance.

The defeat of the PNP on September 3, 2020, which showed a massive swing to the JLP in short order, clearly indicated the fickleness of the body politic. Already, the PNP is getting itself into election mode, which means the nation will never really settle down to tackle the real issues. Instead, we just keep bouncing from one election to another.

Our politics can be likened to a rocking chair — we keep rocking but going nowhere. A fitting description is the well-worn adage “The more things change, the more they remain the same.” Of course, the potent question is: Can a JLP third term make a difference?

When will we come to terms with the harsh reality that we are not producing enough and that there is too much waste and corruption? For too long the dependency syndrome has smothered us. Politicians, for the most part, have helped to perpetuate persistent poverty by encouraging a culture in which the people rely on handouts, scarce benefits, and spoils.

If Jamaica is to become truly productive, its people must begin to take responsibility for their actions and the role of Member of Parliament must be clearly defined. It is in this context that the idea of a contract with Jamaica looms large. And it is incumbent on civil society to come together and format a “Contract with Jamaica” that both major political parties can buy into. In other words, unless there is a clear, shared vision then the people will perish.

Since 1962 the first-past-the-post system has not truly benefited Jamaica. The Westminster model presupposes certain cultural norms, ethics, and moral issues which, alas, many Jamaicans do not embrace at this time. That is why constitutional reform must be the template on which the new Jamaica is built.

The ongoing tragedy is that the nation cannot even come to terms with its cumbersome monarchical trappings and move decisively towards a republican form of government. Full acceptance of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) seems almost unattainable because of narrow partisan one-upmanship. In this regard, this stalemate between the JLP and the PNP stands to create an unnecessary roadblock to wresting ourselves away from one of the last vestiges of our colonial dependence.

Jamaica has been plagued with severe economic challenges, the cancer of crime and violence, and rampant indiscipline and lawlessness. Throughout the nation’s chequered political history, it has been bombarded with various slogans, from ‘Better must come’ to ‘Prosperity’. Regrettably, bitter has come in many instances, and it is time that both the leadership of the PNP and the JLP realise that we are all in this thing together.

Neither the PNP nor the JLP by itself can take Jamaica to the ‘Promised Land’. It will have to be a collaborative effort. Scoring cheap political points, tearing down rather than building up, waiting for one party to fail so that the other can gain office then fail is a road we have travelled too often.

As we face yet another pivotal general election, the potent question that must be asked by all well-thinking Jamaicans is: Do we know where we are going? And in this vein, we should remind ourselves of this from
Alice In Wonderland: If you don’t know where you are going, then any road will get you there. Needless to say, like our road infrastructure, Jamaica’s political landscape has been plagued with many treacherous potholes.

If we are to become a truly independent nation, our parliamentarians must move towards a closer relationship with those who elect them, which should see them honing out a contract with the people that must include good governance; taking responsibility; intensifying the fight against graft, corruption, and waste; meaningful and far-reaching constitutional reform; redefining the roles of councillors and Members of Parliament; restructuring the education system to meet the demands of today’s Jamaica; reforming and improving the justice system; intensifying a values and attitudes campaign through character education; identifying and developing those aspects of our people that are marketable, especially our music, cuisine, sports; and putting agriculture on a pedestal rather than treating it as a bastard child. These are but some of the ingredients that must be part and parcel of a national contract which both the PNP and JLP should sign off on.

If we continue to believe that our sure salvation rests only in an election victory gained by the party of our choice then we are doomed to continue pursuing a peculiar kind of insanity that condemns us to keep doing the same things over and over while expecting different results, thus making the country a fool’s paradise.

Let us not be shackled by mental slavery which engenders conspiracy theories, distrust, and wanton disregard for common decency and humanity. In the words of the renowned Jamaican poet Michael G Smith, “Let us forward before it is too late!”

But, alas, one gets the impression that a piecemeal approach to constitutional reform in the context of achieving republican status is preferred to bold and innovative thinking. In other words, we are choosing to tiptoe through the tulips rather than trample down that which has brought us to this sorry pass.

This seemingly preferred process of evolution rather than revolution is impatient of debate. The
Concise Oxford English Dictionary defines evolution as “develop gradually” while one definition of revolution is “dramatic and wide-reaching change”. Which should Jamaica choose at this time? Evolution or Revolution? The 2025 General Election may well help prove to be the deciding factor.

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.