Letter of the Day | Ruling party seems determined to lose next election

THE EDITOR, Madam:

The current Government seems to have grown tired of shouldering the responsibility for the affairs of the nation and is hell-bent on losing the next general election.

I have come to the above conclusion based on a number of politically suicidal decisions the Government has taken since the beginning of 2023. The most baffling of these decisions has to be the massive salary increases granted to the political class and the approach adopted in the constitutional amendment to bring the retirement age of the director of public prosecutions and the auditor general in line with the rest of the civil service.

The decision to grant parliamentarians and councillors increases ranging from 200-300 per cent, after coercing government employees into accepting much lower increases, with threats of delayed payments of retroactive salaries, can only be understood if the Government is tired of governing or holds the electorate in such contempt, it believes the issue will be erased from memory by the next election.

It is interesting to note the public’s objection was not to the political class awarding themselves an increase, but to the quantum of the increase.

The decision to bring the retirement age of the director of public prosecutions and the auditor general in line with the rest of the civil service need not have descended into controversy. It is a logical move, and a non-suicidal government would have sought consensus with the parliamentary Opposition to ensure the constitutional amendment received unanimous approval. Now we are faced with the real possibility of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions being brought into disrepute.

The Government appears determined to lose the next election, and this determination is aided by its parliamentary majority with which it can bulldoze legislation through.

The only thing more intoxicating to a politician than a crowd of tribal supporters is a huge parliamentary majority that can breed arrogance, and the Government appears to have fallen into the trap.

The People’s National Party must be counting their lucky stars the Government is suicidal, as they can always count on the Government to orchestrate some distraction to divert attention from their leader’s intemperate utterances and the divisive candidate selection exercises.

The Government is writing the template on how to be booted from office. They must be suicidal, tired, or both.

WAYNE PLUMMER

Greater Portmore