Jamaica continues to be ‘The Confounding Island’ of which sociologist Orlando Patterson wrote in 2019 ( The Confounding Island: Jamaica and the Postcolonial Predicament. Harvard University Press). With more churches per square mile than any other...
Another general election, another low voter turnout. Preliminary estimates indicate that 39.5 per cent of the electorate turned up to vote in the 2025 general election. We had a busy election season and perhaps that is what makes the low voter...
Many of us learnt a valuable lesson this election cycle. It is the average voter’s opinion of the government’s performance that matters most – not that of any international credit rating agency, financial news outlet or political scientist. While...
A newly elected administration assumes office with the solemn responsibility of delivering real change. Jamaica cannot afford politics as usual. The objectives are clear. The incoming government must demonstrate bold, principled leadership –...
We Jamaicans must now learn from experience that standing up, not sitting down: • Stopped the repeated declarations of unconstitutional states of emergency over the last 10 years and the locking up of scores of innocent youth. • Got former Minister...
I voted yesterday in my 11th Jamaican general election. In my short voting life, I have seen the ruling party change five times through the ballot box, and there have been multiple landslides on both sides. Parties rise, fall, and then rise again...
More Jamaicans, who cast ballots in yesterday’s general election, have reposed their confidence in Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness and his Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) to form the island’s government for what, for that party, is an unprecedented...
In 2020, only 37.9 per cent of Jamaicans voted. That number wasn’t just low – it was a warning that the people were weary of broken promises, disillusioned by political theatre, and distrustful of a system that too often served itself. The message...
Another general election is behind Jamaica, which, as usual, carried its share of hype, loudness, arguments and counter=arguments – all signs of a vibrant democracy. In the end, the power of the electorate has prevailed. Democracy, which is an...
The general election is now behind us and what lies ahead must not be reduced to the colour of a shirt, the blare of vuvuzelas, or the length of a motorcade. Jamaica’s weary majority demands leadership that is sober, transparent, and servant-minded...
Usually I write about the things we could and should do better to attain a just and flourishing society. This approach is born of a conviction that our gifts far exceed our stewardship of them. We are truly an underperforming “God-Bless people...
With the elections now over and a new administration going to take office, we – on behalf of the youth and future of Jamaica – raise urgent questions requiring immediate action. Student financing is a long-standing issue. The Students’ Loan Bureau...
Published:Wednesday | September 3, 2025 | 12:09 AM
It all boils down to today – the profundity of which Jamaicans ought not to underestimate, should deeply cherish, and work hard to maintain. That is why all participants in today’s parliamentary elections – parties, candidates, election managers,...
Published:Wednesday | September 3, 2025 | 12:06 AM
JAMAICA’S ELECTION season, as usual, makes promises rain down like hurricane squalls! We have heard about tax cuts, growth targets, and IMF-approved discipline; but how realistic are they? Keith Duncan, a cautious voice of fiscal prudence,...
Published:Wednesday | September 3, 2025 | 12:06 AM
A GENERAL election is being held in Jamaica today. Jamaica’s registered voters are going to the polls to make their choice. This column has pointed to the importance of foreign policy issues and their impact on the Jamaican economy. Reference is...
Having read the inaccurate assertions about the government’s constitutional reform work, made by Deacon Peter Espeut in the article titled ‘The JLP manifesto’, published in The Gleaner on August 22, Proverbs 12:22 comes to mind. The injury caused...
’Twas the night before elections and, all through Gordon House, not a creature was stirring not even a mouse. The candidates were nestled all snug in their beds while visions of government contracts danced in their heads. The talk had ended; the...
America’s decision to deny or revoke visas to Palestinian officials, including Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas, to attend this month’s United Nations general assembly meeting in New York is not only a violation of the spirit of...
It is deeply unfortunate that Horace Chang, the national security minister, without offering evidence, accused the People’s National Party (PNP) of responsibility for a series of bomb threats at government offices on Friday. Dr Chang neither gets,...
From Aristotle to Confucius, wise men have taught that virtue, that is the foundational principles of truth, honesty, self-respect, compassion for others and self-discipline, are the necessary building blocks of a flourishing society ,as they are...
Those of us who have followed our political campaigns for many years will agree that this campaign has been sadly lacking in humour and a good belly laugh. Long gone are the days when Bustamante ruled with his jibes and teasing on the political...
Reviewing the geopolitical and international security landscape makes my head spin. It is difficult to address some of these issues because of fast moving parts and an analysis of any select situation at any given moment in time could be turned...
In the remaining days before the parliamentary elections, the debate, perhaps, no longer should be over whether the next government can fund income tax reductions without offsetting revenue elsewhere. Instead, it should be about if that would be...
As we near the high stakes and consequential September 3 general election, the manifestos have been finally revealed to the public, we see major tax reforms being unveiled by the People’s National Party (PNP) and the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP)....
The inscription of Port Royal on the UNESCO World Heritage List marks a significant moment for Jamaica and the wider Caribbean. This designation invites reflection on the multiple layers of history embedded within this site – layers that reveal...
