Wrong priorities, wrong directions

In May of this year, at least 74 Jamaicans were killed in Western Kingston in less than two days. Some of those killings were done by the security forces. There has been no record of such concentrated killings in Jamaica since the Morant Bay Rebellion of 1865. In addition to the civilians killed in West Kingston, two policemen and at least one member of the Jamaica Defence Force were murdered.

Almost six months after these mass killings, there has been no coroner's inquest held, started or even been contemplated as far as the public is aware. The laws of Jamaica require such a coroner's inquest to investigate sudden deaths. Over 74 of those killings took place took place in the political constituency represented in Parliament by Prime Minister Bruce Golding. Most of these killings took place in the community of Tivoli Gardens. Not only has there been no coroner's inquest held, but the prime minister has failed to even establish a commission of enquiry with the specific terms of reference to investigate the killings of these poor Jamaicans. So poor were they that the Government had to assist with the funeral expenses to ensure burial.

Misplaced priorities?

Sadly, the prime minister, for one reason or another, never found the time to immediately visit the community of Tivoli Gardens to sympathise with the grieving relatives and friends. Indeed, the first visit by the prime minister some time later was done with the deliberate exclusion of the news media.

Last Tuesday morning, there was breaking news that the community of Tivoli Gardens and its environs were spray-painted with pro-People's National Party graffiti. Unlike in May when the blood of poor people was being spilt in the streets of West Kingston, the prime minister and member of parliament found the time to make a same-day visit to show his profound concerns about the spilling of some red (or was it orange) paint on a few walls in his political constituency.

The contrasting speed attending the intervention by Mr Golding to the two different events opens him to charges of indifference to the physical and emotional sufferings of the poor people while displaying an eagerness to protect the political power which some say is fast disappearing from his control. That our prime minister could declare on this visit that he was sure the painting was not done by "duppies" from the nearby May Pen Cemetery and should be investigated by the security forces raise the question as to whether his priorities are in the wrong place. Someone needs to remind the chief servant of the people that it is unlikely that the killing of scores of persons in May from the same community were done by the "duppies" from nearby May Pen Cemetery either. Their deaths, more than the graffiti, are what need the fullest of investigations.

The priority attached to investigating graffiti is palpably wrong. The failure to have a coroner's inquest or a specific commission of enquiry focusing on how so many poor Jamaicans met their sudden death is another reflection of wrong priorities by Mr Golding and his government. Adherence to the rule of law would demand no less.

The perilous state of our economy not the politically embarrassing graffiti is what ought on Tuesday to have received the priority if not the exclusive attention of our prime minister. While Mr Golding was concerned with shoring up his political fortunes, the governor of the Bank of Jamaica was getting ready to tell the nation and the world that our economy showed no growth in the last quarter. By Mr Golding's own admission, our country has suffered 13 consecutive quarters of negative growth. This is an unenviable economic record. It all occurred under the watch of our graffiti viewing prime minister. This is why visiting, investigating and complaining of community being under 'siege' by graffiti or the security force, as one political official did, are going in the wrong direction. Statesmanship, not political opportunism, is what our troubled nation requires in these difficult times.

In the last three years, our gross domestic product (GDP) has declined by eight per cent. Poverty has moved from its historic low of 9.8 per cent in 2007 to the staggering heights of 16.8 per cent last year. Unemployment has soared to new heights with nearly 100,000 Jamaicans losing their jobs when the promise was for jobs, jobs and more jobs. Our debt situation was worsening by a whopping $520 billion more and our debt-to-GDP ratio of 140 per cent remains in the lonely stratosphere where less than a handful of countries find themselves. Clearly, our country's economy is going in the wrong direction. Fifty-eight per cent of the respondents in a recent opinion poll share that view.

Another credibility issue

Our teachers are finding out that the lawful decision of the Industrial Dispute Tribunal (IDT) that they be paid $500 million of the over $8 billion owed to them is unlikely to be honoured. If this is the case, the Government would be setting a very dangerous precedent in disregarding the established industrial-relations machinery. The rule of law requires that no section of society be mightier than the law. That is what dictatorship is made of. Here again a failure by the Government to honour the IDT award, just as it reneged last year on its salary agreement with public-sector workers will further destroy any credibility left in the Bruce Golding administration.

Soon the people of Jamaica, like the United States, will take stock of the stewardship of its servants. Barack Obama came to power on January 20, 2009. In less than two years, his party got a "shellacking" from the American people. Claims of global recession or saying it was eight years of George Bush's fault was of no avail. When the people perceive a government going in the wrong direction excuses are of no use. It is against this background that the wrong priority of graffiti watching or the wrong direction of negative economic performance, embarrassing extradition escapades, massive losses of credibility, flip-flopping on policy direction and insensitivity to the poor are going to be judged by the Jamaican people. Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.

Lambert Brown is president of the University and Allied Workers Union and can be contacted at Labpoyh@yahoo.com. Feedback may also be sent to columns@gleanerjm.com.