Many years ago, during its formative years, some of its strident detractors labelled the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) the Privileged Sons of Jamaica.

Of course, those were the days when the ideological stance taken by the People’s National Party (PNP), by way of democratic socialism (some sceptics said that was communism in disguised garb), would have suggested that big business moguls were greedy, unconscionable capitalists who do not care for poor black Jamaicans who are in the majority. Needless to say, its founding president, the late Carlton Alexander, could not be so tarred and feathered as he was undoubtedly a patriotic visionary and compassionate capitalist.

At the same time, it is no secret that the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has been perceived to be the party of choice of big business interests, which is not surprising as it is well known that there are people who view the business class with much suspicion and, in some cases, envy. When I was Member of Parliament for St James Central — the last time the PNP was in power under Portia Simpson Miller — I had felt very strongly that the party should develop a meaningful and mutually satisfying relationship with the Montego Bay private sector. Regrettably, my attempts were scoffed at and there was an instance when certain disgruntled Comrades were alleged to have reported me to the party secretariat, accusing me of bringing in certain “big people” to take over the constituency.

The PSOJ was founded in 1976, and according to its website, “The organization seeks to influence issues of national policy of a political, social, or economic nature. The Executive Committee, under guidance from the council, leads this process by promoting discussions with the country’s Government, political directorate, and the Opposition.” It is against this backdrop that this writer wishes to challenge this esteemed and highly respected organisation to become more involved in the nation’s quest to fashion a new constitution as well as the long overdue acquisition of republican status.

It is no secret that the PSOJ has a great deal of clout and a voice that cannot be ignored, either by the ruling party or the Opposition. Indeed, given this context, it is time the PSOJ step up to the plate and become fully involved in this national enterprise which is in need of consensus and a common-sense approach.

An online source defines the expression “step up to the plate” as “taking responsibility, take initiative, or rise to a challenge, especially in a difficult situation. It implies acting with courage when faced with a critical task or opportunity”. In this regard, it is no secret that the road to Jamaica becoming a full-fledged republic has been plagued with several potholes, precipices, and roadblocks, chief among them has been the inability or refusal of the governing JLP and the Opposition PNP to arrive at a consensual decision on the way forward.

It is to be noted that neither Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness nor Opposition Leader Mark Golding provided much information with respect to constitutional reform and the quest to say “bye-bye” to the British monarchy. The abandonment of the Marlene Malahoo Forte Ministry of Constitutional and Legal Affairs that was tasked to drive this process and have it subsumed in the Delroy Chuck Ministry of Justice can best be described as a sleight of hand, which, for all intents and purposelessness, whether wittingly or unwittingly, shunted the issue of Jamaica becoming a republic to the back burner.

In this vein, all well-thinking Jamaicans should say, “A pox on both your houses!” Why has there not been a resumption of the Vale Royal talks, for example? Well, a casual look at that national structure, which is now in a dilapidated state, perhaps represents the stark symbolism of where we have reached in our national effort to become a republic.

The PSOJ is perhaps the only civil society group that both the JLP and PNP will listen to at this time and will take seriously. Most other such bodies are dismissed as being partisan or mischievous. Quite frankly, this writer does not see the JLP’s two attack dogs (no disrespect intended) State Minister Senator Abka Fitz-Henley and Parliamentary Secretary Senator Marlon Morgan publicly chastising the PSOJ or dismissing its expressed concerns about this stalemate with respect to constitutional reform and making Jamaica a republic by 2030 when the highly touted Vision 2030 was slated to become a glowing reality. That would be the day! As for the PNP, don’t even think about it!

So what should every patriotic Jamaican request of the PSOJ? To begin with, its intervention in terms of calling for a full resumption of the Vale Royal talks should be immediate and made without apology or hesitation. And in the same breath, the Holness Administration should be called upon to tell the nation what is to become of the Vale Royal building itself, which is now a stark symbol of a nation’s lack of civic pride.

The PSOJ should then garner resources to stage islandwide community discussions and debates on constitutional reform and republican status devoid of any partisan agenda.

Instead of both the PNP and JLP haggling and quibbling ad nauseam, the PSOJ could set the stage for meaningful dialogue between the two with respect to such vexing issues as the Caribbean Court of Appeal and the role of the president in a republican Parliament. As it stands, this nation, whether we wish to admit it or not, is in crisis, a crisis of leadership based on integrity, not political expediency. Just recently, Prime Minister Holness observed, and rightly so, that the decline in ethical and moral standards can have a deleterious effect on the country’s economy. “Once to every man and nation comes the moment to decide…”

The PSOJ has the necessary muscle and clout to make a difference instead of comfortably sitting on the sidelines while Jah kingdom goes to waste.

Lloyd B Smith has been involved full-time in Jamaican media for the past 50 years. He has also served as a People’s National Party 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.

A copy of the Jamaica Constitution

Carlton Alexander.

Vale Royal is a historic 17th-century great house in St Andrew, Jamaica, which once served as the official residence of Jamaican prime ministers.