Former Prime Ministers unite for Jamaica

Excerpt from Jamaica Observer column published 28 January 2019

by Jean Lowrie-Chin

Former PM Bruce Golding - Jamaica Observer photo

I have to thank Dr Lucien Jones for linking me to an excellent  Jamaica Observer report headlined “Unity of Purpose” by Karena Bennett. How wonderful when politicians on opposing sides go into retirement and now congratulate each other on their past initiatives. Former Prime Minister Bruce Golding pointed out at a JSE conference last week that we have to go “beyond the bounds of legislation” to establish “a culture of integrity”. He noted, “I’m talking about a situation where something might not be illegal, but it is just plain wrong and the society accepts that it is wrong.”

Mr Golding harked back to P.J. Patterson’s Values & Attitudes programme that was branded as political and fizzled in 2003, remarking to much applause, “I've heard Prime Minister [Andrew] Holness make a number of statements that are almost indistinguishable from what PJ had put forward 25 years ago, and I'm just wondering whether the former prime ministers shouldn't make ourselves ready to lend support to get the discussion going.”

Former PM P.J. Patterson

The Observer reporter recalled a speech made by former PM Patterson to a Rotary Club in Hanover last year where he acknowledged Bruce Golding’s previous call: “As Bruce said, every pronouncement that is made, however it is articulated, comes out with the central things. We need to change our patterns of behaviour. It is time we move from talking about it, now that we seem to be saying the same thing, to acting on it,” Patterson reasoned.

“The message to go forth from this conference [is] that there is a suggestion that the political leaders should seek to invoke the help and support of those of us who have retired. We are prepared to get on board and put this thing at a level where the whole nation accepts. This is not an orange or green business, this is a matter of where we are as a nation,” he said.

Former PM Portia Simpson Miller - JIS photo

Former PM Edward Seaga - Observer photo

This proposed programme is being seen as the “last contribution to the national effort” by our four retired prime ministers: Bruce Golding, P.J. Patterson, Edward Seaga and Portia Simpson Miller.

At a Kingston Lay Magistrates event hosted by Custos Steadman Fuller, Mr Patterson suggested an Anti-Crime Commission, similar in composition to the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ). Having served the ECJ and its predecessor the Electoral Advisory Committee, and seen how the opposing parties argued every last detail of the Representation of the People Act to give Jamaica a gold standard electoral system, I believe that this model should be given a try.