The road to Independence, Pt IV... on the 1962 election trail

THE COUNTDOWN to the general elections of 1962 commenced on Sunday, April 1 with giant meetings held by the Peoples National Party (PNP) and the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) at strategic points all over the island.

The election day had been set by Premier Norman Manley for Tuesday, April 10. This was to be the election that would determine which party would lead Jamaica into Independence, and the PNP and JLP were consolidating their positions with the two leaders, Manley and Sir Alexander Bustamante, in a race to the finish.

Age made little difference to either of these two political giants. Manley at 69, and Bustamante (Busta) at 78, were displaying the vim, vigour and vitality of much younger men.

Excitement across the electorate was at fever pitch, with the meetings pulling out massive crowds, and daily broadcasts urging voters to cast their ballots for 'The Man with the Plan' - PNP or the 'Party with the Programme' - JLP.

Other events

Meanwhile other events of national interest were sharing the headlines. The West Indies cricket team was whipping the pants off India in the fourth test in Barbados, beating the visitors by seven wickets to go up 4-0 in the series.

A Royal Charter was granted on April 2 to make the University College of the West Indies a full-fledged university under the Great Seal of the Realm.

In news overseas, the Cold War was on, with President John Kennedy of the USA facing down Russian Premier Nikita Khrushchev. Jamaica as a British colony sided with the West, but the PNP had continued to flirt with socialism, leaving it open to Bustamante's continuous populist taunting that "if you have two cows Manley going take away one".

All seemed ordinary when two Russian ships, said to be on a scientific investigation in the Atlantic, sailed into the Kingston Harbour on April 5, ostensibly for fuel, water and food. Their presence earned a small news item in The Gleaner and may have gone unnoticed, but not by the politicians. Stories started to circulate that the arrival of the ships was an omen of things 'red' to come.

Public opinion was whipped up into a frenzy on the eve of the election. Manley reacted with concern, denying that the ships had been invited by the Government. "Please keep calm and do not let liars deceive you," he announced. With just four days to go, the presence of the ships turned into a big political issue, although modern polls would probably have shown that little, if any, fillip had been provided for the JLP.

The ships slipped out as quietly as they came on April 8, and the campaign continued. A total of 112 candidates were nominated, with the PNP and JLP fielding a full slate of 45 each. Over in Spanish Town, 1,200 lit candles heralded Bustamante's arrival at a meeting with the crowd singing, "Coming, coming, he is coming back again." And Manley took a swing at the Opposition when he told a Four Roads crowd that "I wouldn't put the JLP in charge of a fowl coop much less to run a government".

On election morning, Bustamante voted quietly at 208 Mountain View Avenue. Manley voted at 21 Washington Drive. "Who yu vote for", asked an enthusiastic supporter. Manley smiled and replied,"A person's vote is secret."

The secret was out that night. The proverbial JLP river came down bank to bank with the voters handing them a 26-19 seat majority in the House. There was dancing in the streets at the offices of the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union and at Bustamante's residence on Tucker Avenue.

"I accept the decision of the people", said Manley. And from Bustamante, the Prime Minister-designate of Independent Jamaica: "There will be no victimisation ... nor will there be any communism in this island," he added, as a final barb in the PNP's side.

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