Ronald Thwaites | Unselfish change

So if Mr Holness agrees that Jamaica must become a republic, why not a gracious reply to Mr Patterson, agreeing with him and confirming the immediate start of bipartisan Vale Royal talks towards that end? After all, in an entirely unhelpful and unjustified slur, Holness says that those raising the issue now, obviously referring to PJ, should have engineered the changes years ago. Why so prickly, Most Honourable?

Really, we must expect better command of history and higher commitment to national unity from people who hold high office. The transition to republican status and the broader remit of constitutional reform have not happened before, first because those who framed the Constitution married us to the Queen of England in a way that even mutually agreed divorce involves an expensive and politically dangerous referendum. And second, the absence of a spirit of consensual relations – in fact, a visceral posture of disagreement and suspicion, particularly on the part of one long-serving leader of Holness’ own party – has, up to now, hopes of a unified approach to the electorate.

I had hoped – and we must still cling to the possibility – that this new generation of leaders would cut through all that selfishness and seize the opportunity to do something together, for the people, now. Sadly, Andrew’s sour and confusing words of indirect reply to P.J. last week, convey a backward ‘we’re going to do on our schedule what you never did, so just gwan siddung and wait’ attitude that cannot work.

And what’s this non sequitur about substantial versus symbolic change? Symbols are very important. They are outward signs that display and represent spiritual and cultural foundations. And please, no one has done more to airily “speak prosperity into being” than the gentleman who now criticises others for wanting to do the same.

Last Wednesday on the ‘Public Eye’, Pearnel Charles, and myself hosted an illuminating conversation with former prime ministers Patterson and Golding on the subject of constitutional reform. There was complete consensus on the history of previous efforts, the scope and modalities required to catch up with Barbados (can’t you sense the subliminal ‘look how we mek dat ooman and those small island people first us, eeh!”), and to go further to correct many other anomalies and deficiencies in our fundamental law.

NEXT STEPS

My question to Bruce and PJ was, what are the next steps to make this happen? Their reply was, start the Vale Royal Talks – and in a spirit of mutual respect, compromise and collaboration to come to the people with a common agenda. Bruce expressed the view that the process to a referendum could happen in18 months, just soon enough to avoid getting caught up in the political ague of the next election cycle.

We should heed him. I give Bruce Golding maximum credit for leadership in entrenching the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedomsin the Constitution during his tenure.

Any politician who rejects this approach is self-obsessive, blighted by a garrison mentality, and oblivious of the legacy which the people deserve from them. Has Andrew phoned Mark yet, or vice versa?

Every opinion leader, indeed every well-thinking Jamaican, ought to insist that the reform process begins now. Governor General Allen, you, who I know aspires to represent an undivided national interest, although your office will soon be redundant, your personal status and pedigree are beyond reproach; could you not mediate a coming together of Andrew, Mark, PJ and Bruce over the holidays? And since the cause really needs the best legal help, please include Dr Lloyd Barnett and Michael Hylton.

That exchange between PJ, Bruce and Pearnel tells me that with maturity, absent the arrogance of political one-upmanship, we can agree, starting appropriately on substantial as well as symbolic constitutional issues; but also, almost too marvellous to comprehend, on many other issues vital to national development.

So how about it? Our diamond jubilee year, 2022, could really herald a ‘new beginning’. What a lift even a start would be to a citizenry who have dangerously low trust in ‘unno’.

FACING OTHER UNPLEASANT TRUTHS

Nigel Clarke says there will be difficulty in finding competent (not politically aligned) people to appoint to all statutory boards. The same time as Mrs Forte is reported to be defending the need for directors who support government (read party) policies. Neither is true. When I served, there was no shortage of competent chairpersons and members to serve.

I had no idea what the party preferences (distinct from national commitment) were, or are, of people like Simon Clarke, Audrey Hinchliffe, Moses Peart, Rickert Allen, James Rawle, Paul Issa, Courteney Campbell, Paul Lalor, along with many others, who all served competently and incorruptibly. There were others of known Jamaica Labour Party sympathy who served or were approached because of their competence, and because nationalists of every, any or no political persuasion deserve a seat at the tables of governance.

Having a majority of the ‘right’ people in office is redolent of the thought process of the terrified planter minority after 1865. The new protocols for appointment are a step in the right direction. Don’t try to dilute or second-guess them before they even come into force.

Have you noticed the groaning about the end of the work-at-home regimen for the public sector announced by the prime minister? The uncomfortable truth is that many of us have lost the appetite for ordered work and life over the past 21 months. Others have used the time to ‘roast’ or hustle in ways that turning up at office or school will curtail. This is going to have an as yet uncalculated effect on national productivity, already at a tragic low ebb. The Government must not relent on this one.

In the same vein, many teachers are noticing the decline of personal habits and manners among students returning to face-to-face class. Even the few who managed virtual learning have had long periods of idleness and a surfeit of social media which makes their bad behaviour and maladjustment worse than before.

Please don’t try to ignore this reality. Damion Crawford’s suggestions about staggering attendance and school hours, rationalising transportation, and concentrating on remediation in core subjects are all worthy of implementation. So is Angela Brown Burke’s (and the JTA’s) proposal for social workers to be assigned to schools. Just add to these the proper nutrition for all needy students and real educational recovery can begin.

Rev Ronald G. Thwaites is an attorney-at-law. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com.