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A citizen's agenda for post-Golding governance

Published:Sunday | October 2, 2011 | 12:00 AM
which have been alternating in Government. Despite his mistakes and despite my idealistic recommendation for a political coup against him in the interest of governance, both his political party and the country have reasons to express gratitude to Mr Golding, as he exits. Negatives loom large when fresh and close. And in our highly politically tribalised environment, any expression of gratitude is bound to attract unwanted labels. But already a highly respected international publication like The Economist is hailing Golding as "Jamaica's most successful leader in decades". Public debt and crime have had a stranglehold upon Jamaica's development for decades. The Government led by Bruce Golding has introduced genuinely game-changing options. The Jamaica Debt Exchange has begun to tame the public debt and has been touted as a model for other countries. The return to the International Monetary Fund has brought not only greater fiscal discipline but the cheapest loan money available. Public-sector rationalisation and the taming of the Government wage bill have been initiated. The massive lossmakers, Air Jamaica and the sugar companies, have been offloaded from public accounts. promises of expansive road rehabilitation The Jamaica Development Infrastructure Programme (JDIP), building on the Highway 2000 programme of the previous Government, promises expansive rehabilitation and building of roads with a secure income stream from the special consumption tax on gasolene to service the JDIP loan from the Chinese government. Tax reform appears to be seriously under way. The Golding Government is attacking waivers, of which there are 200,000 seriously distorting the economy. Despite an already weakened and low-performance economy, the country has weathered the worst global recession in 80 years and has even managed to show some growth in agriculture, and in tourism, which was supposed to be hit hard by the recession. A legislative agenda for the transformation of governance has been pursued, although not nearly as vigorously as it could have been without the 'distractions' which the Government largely created for itself. INDECOM is one outcome. A vigorous programme of education reform, building on the legacy of the preceding PNP government, is not only transforming the sector but has catapulted the young minister into being front-runner in public opinion, though not necessarily in capacity, for replacing Golding. 'Free' health care and education are no plusses, at all, but reckless and costly politicking. Golding handled badly the Public Service Commission issue and the public-sector wage negotiations; but his biggest blunder, by far, was the Coke-Manatt affair in which party was placed ahead of Government. In that famous May 17, 2010 confession and commitment, the prime minister acknowledged that "in hindsight, the party should never have become involved in the way that it did and I should never have allowed it ...". Some action has been taken on every single one of the commitments Golding made that night and a number have been brought to conclusion. Crime has plummeted, in the aftermath of that dreadful incursion into Tivoli Gardens, the prime minister's own inherited garrison stronghold, to capture Christopher Coke, after the community had been transformed into a defensive fortress, and which left more people dead than in any other state action since the Morant Bay uprising in 1865. Murders initially fell by some 40 per cent. But Golding's greatest legacy is simply that, after him, no government, no prime minister, can return to business as usual. The door to the past has been closed. leadership credentials The new prime minister must boldly respond to the fears and aspirations of the Jamaican people upon whom hardships have been unnecessarily heaped by our destructive political system and the poor governance it has produced. As party leader, he is to avoid reckless promises for re-election. He is to strive to build bridges in the national interest, critical among them collaboration with the Opposition, the private sector, and with civil society. Jobs and poverty reduction, crime reduction and public safety, reduction of corruption, the dispensing of justice, improvement of infrastructure and of communities, housing, improvement of educational performance and opportunities are high on the national agenda. The people now understand that many of these things cannot be achieved without painful adjustments, without wringing accumulated distortions and inefficiencies and waste and fraud out of the system. Without reducing and controlling the debt burden and the Budget deficit. The prime minister must lead a Government that will not flinch in executing these tasks, even if winning the next election is jeopardised. And he and his team must gently and consistently explain the actions and goals of the Government to the people. He must return the Parliament to being a chamber of the people's representatives, irrespective of party affiliation, and his Government must listen to them in the formation of policy and the Budget. He must lead the nation in a rehabilitation of communities, both in physical condition and in spirit. The prime minister must spend his time quietly governing and not profiling in endless social occasions, making endless, forgettable form speeches, and in firefighting. And his ministers must do the same. The prime minister must restore order and tidiness to Government and to society, insisting that everybody plays by the rules, and leading by example. The prime minister must share a simple overarching vision of Government with the people - and stick to it. Martin Henry is a communication specialist. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and medhen@gmail.com.

Martin Henry, Contributor

We have been advised by Jamaica House that leisurely outgoing Prime Minister Bruce Golding will address the nation today about his decision to stand down. The notice would have better come from Belmont Road concerning his planned departure from the leadership of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP). For clearly, in the ensuing media frenzy and the responses of the frightened party itself, if not the incumbent leader himself, this has been the order of priority.

There have been many calls for Mr Golding to speak up about his reasons for stepping down from offices, a matter which the death of his mother has allegedly hindered, but not hindering the initial 'bombshell' announcement at a meeting of the Central Executive of the party.

Public statement nice, but not necessary. What if the prime minister, God forbid, had been assassinated, dropped dead, disappeared bird-hunting in Paraguay, gone comatose, or out of his mind? What if Golding's grand reason is nothing more than "Mi tired, mi battered, mi done", as, in fact, he has hinted in his media release?

no details

The conspiracy theorists are going to be disappointed today as there will be no gritty details of political intrigue in the prime minister's dishwater address given to satisfy protocol. And the media have already noted, with some alarm, Mr Golding's lightness of heart as he gets ready to get rid of the country's most difficult and thankless job.

Following that magnificent Rule of Law principle, we have a government of laws, not of men. And the men are, frankly speaking, quite dispensable. It should be the new prime minister addressing the nation today. For Golding, having declared in bridge-burning fashion, allowing no retreat, his intention to step down, the parliamentary caucus of the ruling party, led by the chairman who himself has a seat in the Parliament, should have demonstrated muscularity of political will, huddled and selected among themselves the one they are willing to support to lead the Government and advise the governor general to revoke Golding's appointment and recommend to the discretion of Sir Patrick their choice for the new head of government. Precisely what the Constitution allows [Sections 71 & 70]. Precisely what is best for the country. And precisely what is best for the JLP itself.

The incumbent prime minister could retaliate by requesting of the governor general, within three days, the dissolution of Parliament. Which, in this case, would be tantamount to handing the Government to the People's National Party (PNP) now in Opposition via a general election. In any case, Golding's stepping down, in my contrary view, is already leading in that direction. Robust, decisive action of the kind I am advocating here, unifying game-changing leadership by the new PM who would be recommended to the party as leader in a move good for both country and party would go a long way in stemming that damage.

'Leader' is nothing but a ceremonial position which allows the incumbent to be anointed prime minister when elections are won, or leader of the Opposition when elections are lost. Just note the regal late entry of leader and president into party conferences. It is chairman and general secretary who do the donkey work of running the parties. There is no reason why, in the reverse, prime minister should not be subsequently appointed by acclamation as party leader. But that will only happen if government comes before party and government is led by statesmen who happen to be affiliated to a political party rather than by party hacks who happen to be in government.

awaiting party election

Against the history of the JLP and recent events in the PNP, we now await the miracle of a clean and tranquil competitive election of a new party leader who will become prime minister after the November 19 party conference.

To the extent that Golding has been driven out of office by party infighting and by the fallout of the Coke-Manatt affair, the supremacy of party over Government is manifested. We must recall that it was the JLP, not the Government, which sought the legal services of the law firm Manatt, Phelps and Phillips to assist the Government in handling the Coke extradition with the government of the United States. The process of governance in this country is held hostage by the interests of the two parties which have been alternating in Government.
Despite his mistakes and despite my idealistic recommendation for a political coup against him in the interest of governance, both his political party and the country have reasons to express gratitude to Mr Golding, as he exits. Negatives loom large when fresh and close. And in our highly politically tribalised environment, any expression of gratitude is bound to attract unwanted labels. But already a highly respected international publication like The Economist is hailing Golding as "Jamaica's most successful leader in decades".

Public debt and crime have had a stranglehold upon Jamaica's development for decades. The Government led by Bruce Golding has introduced genuinely game-changing options. The Jamaica Debt Exchange has begun to tame the public debt and has been touted as a model for other countries. The return to the International Monetary Fund has brought not only greater fiscal discipline but the cheapest loan money available. Public-sector rationalisation and the taming of the Government wage bill have been initiated. The massive lossmakers, Air Jamaica and the sugar companies, have been offloaded from public accounts.

promises of expansive road rehabilitation

The Jamaica Development Infrastructure Programme (JDIP), building on the Highway 2000 programme of the previous Government, promises expansive rehabilitation and building of roads with a secure income stream from the special consumption tax on gasolene to service the JDIP loan from the Chinese government.

Tax reform appears to be seriously under way. The Golding Government is attacking waivers, of which there are 200,000 seriously distorting the economy. Despite an already weakened and low-performance economy, the country has weathered the worst global recession in 80 years and has even managed to show some growth in agriculture, and in tourism, which was supposed to be hit hard by the recession.

A legislative agenda for the transformation of governance has been pursued, although not nearly as vigorously as it could have been without the 'distractions' which the Government largely created for itself. INDECOM is one outcome. A vigorous programme of education reform, building on the legacy of the preceding PNP government, is not only transforming the sector but has catapulted the young minister into being front-runner in public opinion, though not necessarily in capacity, for replacing Golding.

'Free' health care and education are no plusses, at all, but reckless and costly politicking.

Golding handled badly the Public Service Commission issue and the public-sector wage negotiations; but his biggest blunder, by far, was the Coke-Manatt affair in which party was placed ahead of Government. In that famous May 17, 2010 confession and commitment, the prime minister acknowledged that "in hindsight, the party should never have become involved in the way that it did and I should never have allowed it ...". Some action has been taken on every single one of the commitments Golding made that night and a number have been brought to conclusion.

Crime has plummeted, in the aftermath of that dreadful incursion into Tivoli Gardens, the prime minister's own inherited garrison stronghold, to capture Christopher Coke, after the community had been transformed into a defensive fortress, and which left more people dead than in any other state action since the Morant Bay uprising in 1865. Murders initially fell by some 40 per cent.

But Golding's greatest legacy is simply that, after him, no government, no prime minister, can return to business as usual. The door to the past has been closed.

leadership credentials

The new prime minister must boldly respond to the fears and aspirations of the Jamaican people upon whom hardships have been unnecessarily heaped by our destructive political system and the poor governance it has produced. As party leader, he is to avoid reckless promises for re-election. He is to strive to build bridges in the national interest, critical among them collaboration with the Opposition, the private sector, and with civil society.

Jobs and poverty reduction, crime reduction and public safety, reduction of corruption, the dispensing of justice, improvement of infrastructure and of communities, housing, improvement of educational performance and opportunities are high on the national agenda. The people now understand that many of these things cannot be achieved without painful adjustments, without wringing accumulated distortions and inefficiencies and waste and fraud out of the system. Without reducing and controlling the debt burden and the Budget deficit.

The prime minister must lead a Government that will not flinch in executing these tasks, even if winning the next election is jeopardised. And he and his team must gently and consistently explain the actions and goals of the Government to the people.

He must return the Parliament to being a chamber of the people's representatives, irrespective of party affiliation, and his Government must listen to them in the formation of policy and the Budget.

He must lead the nation in a rehabilitation of communities, both in physical condition and in spirit. The prime minister must spend his time quietly governing and not profiling in endless social occasions, making endless, forgettable form speeches, and in firefighting. And his ministers must do the same.

The prime minister must restore order and tidiness to Government and to society, insisting that everybody plays by the rules, and leading by example.

The prime minister must share a simple overarching vision of Government with the people - and stick to it.

Martin Henry is a communication specialist. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and medhen@gmail.com.