Cassia Park by-election nothing to celebrate

Jaevion Nelson

What's all the excitement for about who won the Cassia Park division by-election? What's there to extol when fewer than 3,000 people in a division of 10,575 registered voters decided who should represent them in the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation? Who cares who wins when the powers and roles of councillors are so cosmetic and local government reform craves our attention?

A glance at the nightly news betrays the fact that we have an increasingly more educated population, given the balderdash they fête us with daily. When we aren't creating an alarm as if we are under a terrorist attack because chicken back is scarce, we are busy celebrating a victory in a by-election where less than a quarter of the voters participated.

Should we celebrate this victory, worry about losing a seat, or be more concerned that in Jamaica, (conventional) political participation is declining?

On Thursday, August 8, Jamaica Labour Party (JLP)(JLP) candidate Beverley Prince claimed victory with 1,586 votes over the People's National Party's (PNP) Sheryn Bromfield. She secured only 1,176 votes. The by-election was necessary because the councillor, Cynthia Burrell, who according to The Gleaner was "a protégée of veteran politician Dr Peter Phillips" - the member of parliament (MP) for East Rural St Andrew - sadly passed away in May 2013. Bromfield is Burrell's daughter, and Prince had been representing the division up to March 2012 when she lost to Burrell.

VOTER PARTICIPATION

The prime minister had made a remark that it wouldn't make sense for people to vote for the JLP since Peter Phillips, the MP, is of the PNP. We will ignore this and focus on voter participation. According to Andrew Holness, the opposition leader, the victory means "the people have sent a powerful message that they are not endorsing the prime minister, and, certainly, they are not endorsing the finance minister".

Is that really the message you got as well? Or that wi fed up wid how things a gwaan dung yah and wi waan betta? Maybe the voters were busy "working, working, working" that they couldn't come out.

NOT SO SOLID

Winning an election where only a quarter of voters participated is in no way worth gloating. It also (in my humble and politically naive opinion) does not send a message to the other party, but suggests to both parties that our democracy is not as solid as a rock.

Why aren't we more concerned about the consistent low voter turnout election after election? I have not seen much research about voter turnout in local government elections, only general elections. Since 1993, with the exception of 1983 when the PNP, under Michael Manley's leadership, boycotted the polls and only 28.9 per cent of persons voted, electoral turnout has been declining below the previous rate of 70 per cent or more.

In 1978, voter turnout was 86.1 per cent; 86.9 per cent in 1983; 77.6 per cent in 1989; 66.7 per cent in 1993; 66.1 per cent in 1997; 60 per cent in 2002; 61.54 per cent in 2007; and 52.76 per cent in 2011.

According to the Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP) at Vanderbilt University (2007) in 'Political Culture of Democracy in Jamaica: 2006', voter apathy is increasing because of, among other things, "the poor performance of the economy" and "dissatisfaction with the development of the country".

POOR GOV'T PERFORMANCE

LAPOP provided some intriguing data about how and why people vote, such as the fact that older persons are more likely to vote, "disaffection with governance, income, and economic development" of the country, lack interest in elections, people believe their vote won't make a difference, and those who are centre are more likely to vote.

In addition, they conducted a survey and found that Jamaicans rate the performance of the government poorly. The mean averages were: combating poverty (34.1), protecting democratic principles - freedom, better living, justice, rule of law and equality - (49.1), improving citizen security (40), combating corruption (30.1), combating unemployment (24.6), and protecting human rights (46.2).

Not surprisingly young people, those who have more negative views of the economy, and people who are poor are more likely to rate the government poorly.

Don't get me wrong: Low voter turnout is not a problem only in Jamaica. If voting were mandatory as it is in some Latin American countries, it would, of course, be much better. Furthermore, low voter turnout is similar across the region, and even in countries such as the United Kingdom and United States.

Regardless, voter turnout must get our attention more than chicken back shortage does. We ought to be concerned that people in a free and democratic society do not see the need to exercise their franchise.

Jaevion Nelson is a youth development, HIV and human rights advocate. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and jaevion@gmail.com.