JLP: Old wine in old wineskins

Dr Orville Taylor, Contributor

Cho! There are so many other things that I would like to write about but the pesky Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) internal election that concluded a week ago. Despite a gutsy performance by Audley Shaw and his crew, Andrew Holness won more than 2,700 of the votes, and Shaw's 2,000-plus, though impressive, was not enough for victory.

It is a clear and conclusive end to months of speculation as to who the JLP loved more and who was the preferred leader of the 70-year-old institution. Holness was no longer the young man to whom the baton was surreptitiously slipped behind by a few rusty parliamentarians. This devout Christian, and husband of a model nuclear family, had galvanised his support and finally got his own mandate to face Portia Simpson Miller's People's National Party (PNP) in any upcoming election. The opposition leader can now say he is 'Man a Party', and who doesn't like it can be the man at his own domicile. As opposition leader, a job that he ought not to feel too comfortable in, Holness' task is to do what the JLP had initially selected him to do in the aftermath of the departure of Bruce Golding: win a general election.

I am not so presumptuous as to advise Andrew. After all, if he, unlike the prime minister, reads the newspapers, he would have read my columns in late 2011 when I observed that only pre-Christmas December elections have been won by incumbents. Furthermore, whatever position he might want to take in digesting the figures, 69 per cent of Jamaicans did say in the polls, "Don't call it, Andrew, don't call it!" But call it he did. But as I said, my counsel would have been out of place, and as Jamaicans say, I would be too 'nuff and bright'.

KEPT HIS WORD

Extending the olive branch, Holness offered the position of spokesman on finance to Shaw. This is something he said he would have done even before the election. So in all fairness, he has kept his word. However, on principle, Shaw and his parliamentary colleague, Ed Bartlett, graciously declined any invitation to be part of the government-in-waiting, because of the apparent attempt to victimise Dr Christopher Tufton, who had not supported Holness. Thus, asking for the resignation of JLP senators en bloc was in furtherance of this.

Shaw went further to deride the opposition leader, who seemed to be questioning the "nominations of the two deputy leaders of area councils 2 and 4, there is clear evidence of the nomination of both deputy leaders". An obviously annoyed Shaw continued, "In relation to Dr Tufton, you asked me to furnish you evidence of a Tara Courier receipt which conveyed the nomination forms for both yourself and Dr Tufton from Area Council 4.

"These forms were subsequently delivered to the general secretary, Dr Horace Chang, by Mr Ian Murray and formally confirms that Dr Tufton was the sole person nominated for deputy leader at the area council meeting in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, on September 29.

"I believe that these issues are being used to pursue a non-unifying path, especially against Dr Tufton, which I find totally unacceptable."

CARRYING 'BELLY' FOR TUFTON

Interestingly, Tufton did unseat Chang as area council representative, and although this Holness ally has responsibility for water, it appears that they are using a basket to 'carry belly' for Tufton, since Shaw can carry his own very well.

Although Shaw's rationale for publishing his comments was to create transparency, since Holness was not speaking, this looks like an attempt to pressure him.

Holness' shadow Cabinet has him reclaiming the education portfolio, as one would expect, and he is holding on to finance himself, presumably until Shaw relents and changes his mind. Of the available parliamentarians, Shaw is doubtless the most suited person for this portfolio. However, if he wants someone whose personal experiences match his official responsibility, Daryl Vaz might be more suited. Vaz can put his mouth where his money is, but if that were to be the test, Shaw would remain silent and Holness would mime.

Holness' breakfront of party veterans reads like a list of patriarchs, missing only Noah and Moses. It has several who have been Labourites before he was born. Jamaica's biggest problem is crime, and he has dusted off and resprayed Golding's discard, Derrick Smith, to reprise his role as shadow national security minister. Well, assuming that the time that he saves by not visiting his constituency can be put to good use, he still has a formidable task.

Pensionables Chang, Karl Samuda, Ken Baugh and septuagenarian Pearnel Charles are joined by the evergreen sexagenarian Olivia 'Babsy' Grange; J.C. Hutchinson, who has been a Labourite since fish walked on land; and Desmond McKenzie, who probably remembers when Bustamante had all his teeth, are all ready for the NIS pensions office. Indeed, they are so grey that it would take copious amounts of Charles' left-side hair product for them to be dark enough to be called a shadow Cabinet.

Indeed, as well-preserved as she is, Shahine Robinson has long aged past the Jamaica-born girl who was a little Fakhourie

Only Dr Andrew Wheatley and Holness himself are on the 40s border, and breath of fresh air, attorney Alexander Williams, is a well-qualified candidate. Called to the bar almost quarter century ago, he has a solid career in law and jurisprudence. Still, he has his toe firmly planted on the 5 and 0.

YOUTH BACKED SHAW

It is
significant that the youth arm of the party didn't seem to back him.
Although G2K did not officially endorse either Shaw or Holness, some key
members of its executive came out swinging for
Shaw.

For a man keen on building his legitimacy and
following within the party, it must be worrisome that he has not
captured the imagination of the generation just behind him. Just about
50 per cent of Jamaicans are below the age of 26, and the most
vulnerable population is the youth, with unemployment levels of 38 per
cent and high levels of frustration and
hopelessness.

It doesn't help either that Charles said
that he would hold Holness' hand. That imagery is unflattering. After
all, with 16 years of being a legislator, a cameo appearance as prime
minister and more than two years in the Driva's seat, he should be
competent enough to walk unassisted. Furthermore, by his own admission,
the man with the bifurcated hair colour scheme implied that Holness
commanded less respect among his colleagues than any preceding head of
the party. According to Charles, none of the JLP leaders, from
Bustamante onwards, would allow himself to be stuck up in the fashion
that Shaw is doing to Holness.

NEED TO TREAD
CAREFULLY

Yet, isn't that precisely the issue? Holness
has not asserted himself. Moreover, can he afford to do so bearing in
mind the already weak base of Labourite support in this country? Beyond
that, is it not possible that it is the style of leadership since the
departure of Bustamante that has given the JLP only two legitimate
general election victories, compared to the PNP's six, since Holness was
born.

Holness must tread carefully because he cannot
afford to appear like a wimp and bow to Shaw, but at the same time he
must demonstrate that he is above the petty malice and vindictiveness.
Anyone in his situation would be upset that Tufton said that he doesn't
like bright people, and I am sure Holness is self-loving and
self-respecting. He is caught between a rock and hard place; and as for
Tufton, 'Cock mouth kill cock.'

Dr Orville Taylor is
senior lecturer in sociology at the UWI and a radio talk-show host.
Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and
tayloronblackline@hotmail.com.