If it ain't broke ...

Dennie Quill, Columnist

Let's forget about opinion polls for now, because the results of the December 29 election have confounded them all. The People's National Party's (PNP) dramatic landslide has handed the party a mandate to govern the country for the next five years, and Jamaicans here and abroad expect them to move expeditiously and purposefully into governance mode.

Portia Simpson Miller is fortunate in having a wide slate from which to choose in order to ensure the most effective and efficient handling of the country's affairs. The danger in that is the desire to reward too many people, often resulting in a bloated administration.

Everyone is agreed that the policy agenda must begin with the economy, but there is a long list of other pressing demands, including the reduction of crime. For example, expectations are high that new jobs will start to materialise in short order. That's unrealistic. While Jamaica can only claw its way out of its current economic difficulties by getting investors to believe in this country and resuscitate business, we don't really see many knocking on our door.

Lessons of last week's election

One of the lessons of last week's election is that there are thousands of Jamaicans who continue to look to their Government to provide employment, and the announcement of the Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme (JEEP) must have been music to their ears. This suggests that the new Government intends to widen its role as an employer. How this will square with the pressures to reduce public spending is yet to be seen.

The thing that bothers me most about governance, though, is the lack of continuity. This has been the bane of Jamaica's existence over the years. After every change in administration, we always appear to be starting over. Does this 42-21 victory mean that all projects and programmes instituted by the former Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) administration should be abandoned? And should all personnel appointments made by the JLP be reversed in the next few days? Indeed, I expect a resounding yes to those questions from the partisan crowd.

However, that would be the wrong approach if we are serious about accelerating national growth. Surely, the country should avail itself of the best and most creative minds without regard to their political persuasion or sympathies.

Palisadoes project

Take the Palisadoes project: Can we expect the heavy-duty equipment silenced over the holidays to be stirred into action in a day or so to ensure that the substantial engineering works being undertaken there are completed? I submit that continuation of good policies is essential for the development of the society following the familiar mantra, 'If it ain't broken don't fix it.'

We need a robust and effective Government. We need politicians who are conscious of their responsibilities. We need to apply significant civil and criminal sanctions to protect government assets from those who would seek to misuse and misappropriate them. These are what people are demanding most when they talk about their hopes and aspirations for their country.

Above all, I believe as we go forward, this new Government must endeavour to build a viable bridge across the JLP-PNP divide. This is especially important as we prepare to commemorate our 50th anniversary of Independence in August. Let us celebrate and help the world to appreciate the resilience of our people, our cultural richness and the values that have kept our country stable.

Dennie Quill is a veteran media practitioner. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and denniequill@hotmail.com.