Gordon Robinson | The principle of restricted choice

Since my April 16 column on abortion, I’ve been flooded with queries about bridge players’ principle of restricted choice mentioned there.

Well, alright, one not-so-young player asked me what it was. So sue me! For all the young, aspiring bridge players out there, this is the Principle of Restricted Choice:

As Declarer (the one playing the hand), with no help from opponents’ bidding, you hold A10xxx in trumps. Dummy comes down with K9xx. Since the outstanding four trumps would split 2-2 most times (41 per cent to be exact) the automatic play is to cash ace and king and watch (hope) as all four outstanding trumps fall. But we must remember a 3-1 (25 per cent chance) split can occur in two ways (3-1 or 1-3) so that combined risk is closer to 50 per cent.

But, unless we get a hint, we can’t play for a 3-1 split. The actionable hint comes if, when we cash Ace (or King), opponent to the right (RHO) plays Queen or Jack. If RHO had both honours, either could’ve been played (RHO would’ve had a choice) so advanced players immediately rely on the Principle of Restricted Choice to play RHO for a singleton. If LHO plays low to the next round of trumps, Declarer must play the ten (or nine) “finessing” LHO for the missing honour.

Like all bridge principles, it’s all about stats. Of the 41 per cent of hands holding two trumps (2-2 split) 25 per cent (10 per cent of all hands) hold specifically Queen and Jack.

In Westminster governance systems, the principle of restricted choice also applies but the percentage choice is nil. Westminster governance doesn’t permit choice of Head of State or Head of Government (merged or not). This is because a few party delegates (from each party) have already chosen our PM for us then PM chooses our Head of State.

Now it’s being proposed Jamaica’s Head of State should be nominated by an unelected PM then confirmed by two-thirds of both Houses. The sole PNP/JLP quibble is whether both houses should sit together or separately.

Not one of our pretend representatives has once considered allowing we the people to choose Jamaica’s Head of State. This despite empirical proof that both political parties combined are in the electoral minority.

PNP is pretending to protect us from government dictatorship by demanding two-thirds is taken separately. But the Senate represents NOBODY except the two political parties. Not one Senator is elected! That any system allowing any political party(ies) to select a Head of State for 3,000,000 people is more monarchical than democratic should be obvious. But the sleight-of-hand of both houses sitting together is worse. Watch and see as PNP, self-styled constitutional rights protector, yields to JLP’s proposal for a joint sitting after faint protest.

Why?

Elementary my dear Watson! The following table charts how winning parties fared in both houses since the Senate was created.

Election Year JLP seats PNP seats Winner’s Total MPs/Senators Winner’s Percentage of both houses

1962 26 19 39 of 66 59

1967 33 20 46 of 74 63

1972 16 37 50 of 74 68

1976 13 47 60 of 81 74

1980 51 9 64 of 81 79

1989 15 45 58 of 81 72

1993 8 52 65 of 81 81

1997 10 50 63 of 81 78

2002 26 34 47 of 81 58

2007 32 28 45 of 81 56

2011 21 42 55 of 84 66

2016 32 31 53 of 84 63

2020 49 14 62 of 84 74

Neither party wants you to understand the joint sitting illusion means 43 MPs permit the winning party to select Jamaica’s President. In six of eleven contested elections since the Lower House was expanded to 63, Government exceeded that threshold (a seventh fell one seat short).

Recent elections establish PNP/JLP combined are in the minority. So why should either or both select Jamaica’s Head of State for us? Is that democracy or desperate, duplicitous dictatorship by two fading political powers playing a today-for-me-tomorrow-for-you game?

Because of Westminster’s restricted political choice, Jamaicans tend to vote, in general elections, as if Jamaica was one constituency. So voters mark their “X” beside the Bell or the Head with little or no regard for associated names. Accordingly JLP/PNP know this contrived assault on Democracy will ensure PMs continue to be unelected; deceitfully dual Heads of State/Government continue perpetrating double-dealing three-card-tricks on citizens; and we the people can never threaten PNP/JLP stranglehold on political power by choosing for ourselves or fielding alternative candidates.

Peace and Love.

Gordon Robinson is an attorney-at-law. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com