Now that we are on the final stretch of the parliamentary election to be held on September 3 it should be clearer in the minds of all Jamaican voters what the strength of their vote will be and on which side of the political spectrum they want to land.

Let me say at the outset that I do not have a vote in the election. I am not a registered voter in Jamaica at this time, but that does not prevent me from having an opinion on which side I believe to be best suited to govern the island’s affairs for the next five years. Indeed, I do, and, as promised, will, in this column, speak to this reality.

I believe a little context to my observations is necessary. I have been writing social and political commentary, largely for national newspapers, uninterrupted for almost 50 years. I would like to think that today, to the best of my knowledge, I might be the only person who has been doing so consistently over these many years. I say this not to brag but to give context to where I am coming from with respect to the present election. It also underscores that I am not a Johnny-come-lately to national affairs, but have lived through some of the most dramatic and turbulent events that have shaped this nation.

There are times when I have been vilified, largely through e-mails, regarding my writing and have been advised on some occasions to stick to preaching. I have never been threatened or harmed for my views even though members of the political tribal amphictyony in Jamaica have vehemently disagreed with my commentary, as I have no doubt many will after reading this column.

The heading of the piece already indicates where I stand, so let me get to it. I believe that any rational, honest, and integrity-driven mind looking at Jamaica over the past 10 years will conclude that we have made steady and determined progress in the management of the country’s affairs. The facts of this are there to be seen, however stubborn they are and however injurious to personal agendas.

I believe the contours of the achievements of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) have been well attested to in the lived experience of the Jamaican people. But I will briefly mention some of the major achievements which undergird my own thinking that they are sufficient to guarantee a well-deserved third term for the party.

I begin with the strength of the economy. No one can gainsay the fact that the Jamaican economy today is at the healthiest it has ever been for most of our lifetime. This column has noted before the contribution of the People’s National Party (PNP) — under former Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller and former Minister of Finance Dr Peter Phillips — in bringing about a certain degree of stability to our fiscal space under the watchful eyes of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). They and the Government they led must be congratulated for this.

But it is crystal clear that the JLP has built on and tremendously improved the fiscal and monetary integrity of the country so that today the poverty rate has been halved, unemployment is at the lowest it has ever been, and Jamaica is fast becoming a poster child for fiscal prudence and economic management. This is a far cry from the days when it was regarded as a pariah and beggar on the world stage.

Our debt-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratio has fallen dramatically from 140 per cent to below 70 per cent, a clear statement that we are not only paying down the debt by sound management, but we are not indulging reckless spending that call for unnecessary borrowing and more reckless spending.

It is because of a strong economy that the Government has been able to embark on big infrastructural projects, such as the Shared Prosperity through Accelerated Improvement to our Road Network (SPARK) Programme in which $45 billion is being spent to overhaul the country’s vast road network. And all of this from our own resources. All of this without having to borrow one cent from the Paris Club or any other agency. And there are other infrastructural projects that are occurring, such as in health, education, agriculture, and justice, just to name a few, which are largely being borne from the burden of our tax dollars.

In transport, the roll out of the Rural School Bus Programme will be a game-changer for children and parents who have had to suffer from the ramshackle and often predatory arrangement that has existed for far too long. Whatever one’s political preferences, it boggles the mind how anyone could be opposed, and virulently so, to this initiative. Many of our schoolchildren will now be able to travel in comfort to and from school. I believe it is in the best interest of Jamaicans to not only to applaud this initiative but do everything in their power, including voting, to send a clear statement of their agreement with it.

As space will not allow, let me end this section with the crime and security strategies of the Government that have resulted in a dramatic reduction in crime, especially murders, which are down now to an average of about 45 per cent since the start of 2025. The security forces and the Government should be commended for this achievement. As is known, the Government does not direct operational strategies in the police force but provides the resources that the force needs to do its work in an efficient and professional manner. This support has been especially evident over the last five years.

The minister of national security, Dr Horace Chang, is easily the most successful national security minister in recent years, and has worked assiduously to ensure that the resources — financial, surveillance, mobility and personnel — were enhanced to optimise success. With clear evidence of a more professional security force, good fruits are being borne. It makes eminent sense to me that one would not want to tinker with an initiative that is clearly working.

And this sentiment goes to the wider achievements of this Administration and why I believe it does not only deserve a third term, but that it is necessary for them to be given one. When I think of this necessity, I am reminded of conversations that I have had with some rural folks, largely in St Elizabeth. There is one recurring theme why they believe the JLP should be returned and this has to do with the future, their future.

The older ones still suffer post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from the shocks the economy went through in the 1990s up to the collapse of the financial sector and the advent of Finsac (Financial Sector Adjustment Company). They know of the fear that gripped them when the budget was to be delivered and how every mundane area of their lives could be subject to taxation. They have seen that for eight years no new tax has been levied against them, yet the Government has been able to garner the resources to improve the social and economic life of the country without any upheavals or distress. They have seen the skilful management of the economy in the days of COVID-19 when the whole world went into shock from lockdowns which upended even large and strong economies.

Despite these sentiments, psychologically, people have a way of becoming complacent with success, becoming lazy in their thinking and distracted by gimmickry and superficiality. Some will see success staring them in the face and walk by on the other side. Some will deny progress in service to a self-serving agenda rooted in ideology. Others may just regard success or progress with a shrug or with a demand that more should have been done without at least commending what has already been achieved. The worst response often comes from those who believe that after 10 years it is time to give the other side a chance. These are those who have grown weary of seeing the same faces and actors for too long and want to see fresh faces. There is a real danger there.

The word “chance” sums it up. It is essentially a gambling word and well-thinking citizens should not gamble away their country’s future on nebulous leadership that is largely untested simply because they ought to get a turn at the wicket. We must be more cerebral and informed in our decision-making and be clearer about what we want the future of our country to be.

stead6655@aol.com.