Andrew Holness on a political roll

BARRING ANY unforeseen circumstances the three-term member of parliament for West Central St Andrew and current minister of education - Andrew Holness - will in a very short time become leader of the 68-year-old Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and prime minister of Jamaica.

Apart from receiving strong support from some sections of the media, at least for the time being, Holness has outdone the internal competition, secured their public endorsement and, finally, received the imprimatur of the JLP four area councils across the island. And by so doing, has locked in the support of the majority JLP parliamentary caucus which, independent of delegates, will signal to the governor general the person in whom they have reposed confidence to lead the country as prime minister. As Holness positions himself for the daunting task of steering the ship of state, Jamaica, within choppy seas and hovering dark storm clouds, his messages intended to foster hope and reassurance have been plentiful and thought-provoking.

It is both urgent and important that even the politically apathetic pay attention to the man whose actions or inactions will impact severely on our lives. For in as much as some may tell themselves that they are steering clear of politicians and politics, certainly, political policies will not steer clear of you. These policies impact everyone. So I remind you of a few things that Andrew Holness has said so far:

• That his leadership will be characterised by sobriety and continuity.
• That it is Edward Seaga and Bruce Golding that have made him who he is politically.
• That he is appointed by God.
• He disavowed donmanship and garrison politics.
• Economic growth and development will be realised under his stewardship.
• A world-class health system.
• Social safety net for the poor and vulnerable who will only be a few.
• An airport to be established at Vernamfield in Clarendon.

Holness has promised drastic reduction in crime and violence, pointing out that political violence was non-existent in the period of the 1960s, and only began when the People's National Party (PNP) came to power in the 1970s. He has confidently concurred with the view that it was the JLP which led the country in the first 50 years of political independence, and it is now the JLP that will provide leadership for Jamaica for the next half a century. Holness, at 39 years old, has all the reason to be ecstatic and optimistic about his political success so far. His has been a steady climb, having entered representational politics in 1997, just about 14 years ago ... and as he entered his 15th year will do so as prime minister.

His mother, in particular, must be proud of her son Andrew, whom she prophetically told, according to him, that this day would come. Now that the day has come, Andrew Holness, in the Jamaican parlance, seem to be in his 'ackee'! And with almost total abandon of the very sobriety which we were told would be the hallmark of his leadership, has began a series of verbal effusion, at a number of JLP rallies across the country. The latest report is that Holness has castigated the PNP and Portia Simpson Miller for harbouring thoughts of renegotiating the International Monetary Fund agreement with Jamaica as careless chatter.

Lacking in consensus

Had not our economic situation been so dire and the emerging political situation so chaotic - lacking in consensus - we could easily conclude that Holness' posturing and mutterings are due to youthful exuberance. But time is not on our side, as the bomb of social alienation and upheaval ticks unobtrusively. We need serious and specific answers to our economic dilemma, which is now at our doorstep. We want to know if another debt default, euphemistically called Jamaica Debt Exchange, is on the cards. We want to know if there are going to be job cuts in the public sector, and how much. Will the police force be trimmed? Will some hospitals be closed, similar to the days of Eddie Seaga as prime minster? How many persons who are nearing pension age will have to wait longer because the age of entitlement has been raised higher? Will free health care and free education be continued, and if so, where will the money come from to finance same? What new and different will be done to create jobs and grow the economy? How will the mental and cultural transformation necessary to create a new ethos towards increased productivity and international competitiveness become a reality?

These and other such questions are what we are interested in, Hon Minister Andrew Holness. For some of us, all your utterances so far, without addressing those fundamental questions, and more, is just equal to the noise from a sounding brass and tinkling cymbal, aimed at distractions and evasion.