Michael Abrahams | Is the PNP ready?

Currently, our country is not at a good place. Crime remains out of control. Our thoroughfares are in a deplorable condition. Our public health and education sectors are substandard. Our economy is not doing well. Food prices are going up. There are repeated reports of large sums of money being unaccounted for in several government ministries. Our prime minister is embroiled in controversy regarding his statutory declarations.

With another general election approaching, you would think that, with the country’s litany of woes, Jamaicans would be clamouring for the Opposition to rescue us from this quagmire. But we are not. The People’s National Party (PNP) has made gains on the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) over the past year; they performed well in the local government elections, and recent polls suggest that, if an election were to be held now, they would probably win. But the margin is still close. Why is that?

The harsh reality for Comrades is that many Jamaicans are not feeling the PNP and are not confident that the party has what it takes to run the country effectively. Their feelings are understandable. In fact, some of the PNP’s actions have left me perplexed and wondering if they truly care about the populace and are paying attention.

For example, when the massive salary increases for the political directorate were announced, many Jamaicans were disgusted. An increase was appropriate, but in excess of two hundred per cent was exorbitant, especially on the heels of teachers being given a “take it or leave it” ultimatum by then Minister of Finance Dr Nigel Clarke. Opposition Leader Mark Golding was vociferous in his opposition to the magnitude of the increase. He was even on social media platforms posting the hashtag #rollitback. But fellow Comrades were not with him. It was as if Golding held up his hand for a ‘high five’ and was left hanging. They took all the money.

TWO THOUGHTS

Their actions left me with two thoughts. First, if they heard the cries of the Jamaican people but took everything, they were no different from the members of the governing party, and were indifferent to the plight of many Jamaicans who struggle to make ends meet. Second, I questioned their emotional intelligence and political savvy, because, if they had taken even a small cut in their salary increase, it would have been a good look, indicating that they empathised with us. But they took it all.

The aftermath of the salary increase brought to light another concern: party unity. Not only were party members not in unison with their leader, who announced that he would be taking a fraction of the increase, but party stalwart Lisa Hanna wrote an article in a newspaper defending and agreeing with the increase. We do not see this behaviour with the JLP. The party understands the assignment. There must be disagreements and differences of opinion within such an organisation, but we do not see them with the governing party. Everyone is on the same page and rallies behind and supports their leader, at least publicly. Unity inspires confidence.

However, with the PNP, we keep hearing rumblings from councillors and others who have been passed over as standard-bearers for their party or hearing people speaking out of turn, with the party distancing itself from their comments or finding it necessary to clarify remarks. For example, in June 2024, PNP senator Damion Crawford suggested increasing the general consumption tax (GCT) to fund education, claiming that a one percentage point increase in GCT would yield $25 billion in revenue. However, the party distanced itself from Crawford’s comments, claiming they were made “in the context of exploring different ideas and were not a reflection of the official position of the PNP”.

More recently, Opposition Spokesman on Agriculture Dayton Campbell, while speaking at a political party meeting, suggested that a future PNP government would impose taxes on food imports to create a dedicated pool of funds he claimed would help to develop the local agricultural sector. Subsequently, at another political meeting, party leader Mark Golding said the PNP does not see a need for new taxes at this time, and that Campbell was referring to existing taxes that are collected on imported food items that would be earmarked to create a fund.

UNIFIED OPPOSITION

A country benefits from having not only a unified opposition, but also one that is vigilant and proactive rather than reactive. However, the PNP has failed to convince the majority of Jamaicans that it is the former. The issue of the House Speaker is a prime example.

There are three branches of government: executive, legislative, and judicial, led by the prime minister, House Speaker, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, respectively. These branches are supposed to act independently of one another. When Juliet Holness, wife of Prime Minister Andrew Holness was nominated to be elevated from Deputy House Speaker to Speaker in September 2023, not only did the Opposition not voice a concern, Phillip Paulwell, the leader of opposition business in the House, seconded the nomination.

As said before, the executive and legislative branches of government are supposed to act independently of each other. If the prime minister and his wife lead each of these branches, there will obviously be a conflict-of-interest situation. This should never have been allowed to happen, but the PNP sat by and not only allowed it but facilitated it, only for the party leader to raise the issue during his budget debate presentation last year.

These are just a few examples of why many Jamaicans do not take the party seriously, and lack confidence in its leadership. We have questions. Is the PNP different from the JLP regarding concern for our welfare? Is the party a unified, organised and cohesive unit? How vigilant is the organisation regarding decisions that are being made at the highest level in our country? Where does the PNP really stand on issues that matter the most to us? We need to know.

Michael Abrahams is an obstetrician and gynaecologist, social commentator, and human-rights advocate. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and michabe_1999@hotmail.com, or follow him on X , formerly Twitter, @mikeyabrahams