In last week’s general election we saw a well-fought victory for the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and a sizeable gain in seats for the People’s National Party (PNP).

Congratulations to Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness for leading a historic campaign which covered more ground than ever before in a general election, and commendations to Opposition Leader Mark Golding who gave a gracious concession speech, emphasising the strength of Jamaica’s democratic system.

As we waited our turn at the polling booth last Wednesday we saw the camaraderie between the two political party monitors and the professionalism of the presiding officer as we presented our new voter IDs. It took only three minutes to vote after a 10-minute wait in the queue.

Our constituency had two outstanding candidates: Delano Seiveright, who has made a name for himself in the Ministry of Tourism, and Christopher Henry, attorney-at-law and a dedicated usher at Stella Maris. As a teenager, good-hearted Henry joined me in conducting Sunday school classes. As was expected, Seiveright had a big win in the seat previously held by the now-retired Karl Samuda.

CCRP received complaints about absence of ramps and lower writing surfaces for people in wheelchairs. There was a good suggestion from the Commission for Persons with Disabilities: Accommodate them on the day reserved for the security forces, with the necessary facilities in place.

Heartening Evolution

As I look back at the projects our agency implemented for six general elections between 1997 and 2016, I could see a heartening evolution. For the 1997 campaign, we emphasised non-violence as some tribalists were still stirring up trouble. Tony Rebel composed the Peace, Love and Unity song and video which we distributed to popular selectors via the legendary Louise Fraser-Bennett.

The video featured the Reggae Boyz with Coach Rene Simoes, newly qualified for the 1998 World Cup; Olympic gold medallist Deon Hemmings, members of the then Electoral Advisory Committee (EAC) in friendly engagement — I remember that scene of the PNP’s Maxine Henry-Wilson and the JLP’s Ryan Peralto Sr hugging and smiling. Fraser-Bennett reported that selectors used the Tony Rebel song to break up several political quarrels during that heated campaign.

For the following election it was the ‘Respect’ campaign in which young PNP and JLP supporters and business leaders promoted respect and tolerance. For another general election the legendary Jimmy Cliff gave us complimentary use of his
Wonderful World, Beautiful People hit song which affirmed the innate goodness of our people. We have come a long way.

A call to service

This column has maintained that Jamaica is too small to have 63 Members of Parliament (MPs) and approximately 200 parish councillors. Jamaican taxpayers who must find the over $890 million annually for their MPs and over $1.280 billion for mayors and parish councillors have the right to expect more from their representatives.

As we know, there have been sizeable revisions of salaries for the prime minister, leader of the Opposition, Cabinet members, and senior ministry personnel since 2023. We would have no quarrel if there were performance reviews. With this phalanx of Government and Opposition representatives, this little rock — 146 miles long and 51 miles wide — should be the most organised, healthiest, and cleanest country in the world.

It is cringe-worthy to watch people in green and orange shouting their support while revealing an urgent need for dental attention. There are willing professionals in the Jamaican Diaspora, ready to do medical missions in Jamaica, so let us access this goodwill.

On the positive side, we acknowledge our gains in recent years, with a 42 per cent reduction in murders, a stable economy, and growing support for Jamaica’s seniors. May this brave new Parliament, our third-term Government, and local government keep their promises to the most vulnerable among us.

Women in leadership

My friends and I have been celebrating the rise of women in representational politics — a record 19 women MPs will be taking their place in Parliament. We shared information on the great qualities women bring to political leadership — empathy and compassion, focus on community development, integrity and adaptability.

We agreed that women’s leadership styles often prioritise consensus-building, transparency, and accountability. It is no coincidence that the governance gurus in Jamaica have been women — the late Greta Bogues and attorney-at-law Camille Facey.

You can imagine, therefore, my keen disappointment that Ann-Marie Vaz did not retain the Portland Eastern seat. She engaged closely with her constituents and was on spot for emergencies. In her media interview, successful candidate for Manchester Central Rhoda Crawford spoke about Vaz’s mentorship.

I am delighted that my long-standing friend Ambassador Audrey Marks gained the Manchester North Eastern seat. She will bring experience to her representation as well as her strong international alliances to benefit the Government of Jamaica. Marks’ campaign was not all flags and posters, as she immediately tackled the water supply needs of the constituency.

Olivia “Babsy” Grange has kept her mega-ministry strong, despite a worrying interlude of illness. Thankfully, she bounced back to stage a euphoric Emancipation and Independence celebration, which no doubt boosted the JLP’s third-term campaign. Newcomer Education Minister Dana Morris Dixon has brought private sector approaches to her ministerial responsibilities.

Congratulations to the new women MPs: JLP’s Marks as well as PNP’s Zuleika Jess, Yvonne Rose Shaw, Nekeisha Burchell, Andrea Purkiss, and Heatha Miller-Bennett.

Digital Safety for Seniors

With increasing reports of online hacking and scamming, the Digicel Foundation will host a special event for seniors later this month in collaboration with the Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica (BCJ). The BCJ has been running an excellent campaign, warning about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to create fake videos which could cause financial and reputational damage. I recently heard that AI is being used to copy the voices of senior executives, then used to give telephone orders to staff members.

The Digicel Foundation launched their islandwide Safer Internet Together (SIT) Programme earlier this year, a holistic awareness and educational programme for students, parents and teachers, business owners, service group members, and the elderly, ensuring that digital literacy and cybersecurity awareness reach all generations.

Hacking on WhatsApp has resulted in a great deal of dislocation and embarrassment for two of my friends. Please ensure you double-check any request to click on a link before you do so.

STGC Junior MVP Awarded

Last year my husband Hubie Chin presented funds for the St George’s College (STGC) Under-15 football team and committed to annual trophy and cash prizes to honour the young Most Valuable Players (MVPs).

Earlier this year, Mahlik Solomon received the Hubie Chin Trophy and prize for being the top performer for 2024/2025. Young Solomon was lauded by STGC Principal Margaret Campbell and Student-Academic Development Coordinator Alwyn Lunch. Chin was captain of the victorious Colts Team during his time at STGC. We wish young Solomon good scoring in the upcoming Manning Cup season.

Jean Lowrie-Chin is an author and executive chair of PROComm, PRODEV and CCRP. Send comments lowriechin@aim.com.

The Jamaica Labour Party emerged victorious in the September 3 General Election.

Ann-Marie Vaz (Everard Owen)

Audrey Marks (Kasey Williams)

Zuleika Jess