Jamaica Observer column published Monday 17 Aug 2020
by Jean Lowrie-Chin
Prime Minister
Andrew Holness chose to announce General Elections in the House of Parliament
last Tuesday acknowledging that we were in a pandemic – a far cry from the huge
and colourful gatherings of the past. We learned that Nomination Day would be
tomorrow Tuesday, August 18 and that Election Day would be Thursday September 3rd.
There is a sense of relief that the whole process will be rolled out quickly.
“We will be
efficient and we will be peaceful,” urged PM Holness. “We are having an
election in a pandemic … it is important that politics does not become a cause
of the spread … I decided to announce this in the House, the people's House,
not a House of disunity and I am asking that we are united as a country, as one
people.” He appealed that Elections be conducted “agreeably, peacefully, and
responsibly.”
And so we are now
in election mode with ads blaring on radio TV and on social media one dub
competing with the other. It is all good fun for this land of reggae and
dancehall – why quarrel when we can dance?
However, we are
concerned that the seniors, the most faithful of all voters, be protected as
they go to the polls. We know the familiar Election Day sights captured in the
press: the infirm elderly being lifted into motor vehicles and taken to vote. We
hope that representatives of both political parties will ensure that persons who
have this task will comply with all the safety protocols.
At a recent press briefing Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton
expressed misgivings when asked if persons with Covid would be allowed to vote.
We wonder also about those persons who
may not be positive but are in quarantine. Could consideration be given to allowing
those persons to vote on the day reserved for the security forces? We have been
hearing from seniors that if persons with Covid are allowed to vote on Election
Day, they will not be participating, so we hope a solution can be found.
Covid spike
However last week
was very troubling as we saw a distinct spike in the cases of Covid, with
numbers well past the 1000 mark and two communities in quarantine. It was
disappointing to hear that a pastor had exposed his congregation in the Sandy
Bay community. Most of the established denominations are compliant, and so,
once again, we are appealing to the Jamaica Council of Churches, the Evangelicals,
the Umbrella Group of Churches and the Multi-Faith organisation, to have a
register online of bona fide places of worship so that pretenders do not prey
on gullible citizens.
Having been living
nearly six months in this ‘Twilight Zone’ of Covid, it seems people are letting
their guard down and endangering others. CMO Dr Jacquiline Bisasor-McKenzie has
warned that you are 3.5 times more likely to be infected in a motor vehicle than
in a workplace or a household. If you are using taxi or bus, please remember to
wear your mask, ensuring that your nose and mouth are covered.
Several workplaces
recently announced that members of their staff have tested positive for Covid and
so those of us who have reopened our businesses and have not had any incidents
should not become complacent. We recently entered a small shop with bold sign.
‘No Mask, No Entry’ yet several persons without masks were being served. We
understand that a shopkeeper recently tested positive for Covid and it is a stark
reminder that as we try to balance life and livelihood we must stick to the
protocols.
PSOJ on
Economic Recovery
Last Friday's PSOJ
conference give us some hard facts but ended on a note of hope. Gratitude to Dr
Marcia Forbes who live-tweeted from the conference since I was not able to
attend. Her assessment of JMA president Richard Pandohie as ‘bright and
practical’ was borne out by the factors he presented including:
-
Pre-Covid,
lots of economic activities but no real economic growth. Consumption driven
economy with minimal value added
-
operating
the same way we did will not give us a V shape recovery. Radical change in
economic base required with a heavy focus on value-added, productivity and
export
-
need
service pillar and productive pillar together not one or the other.
Diversification will be a key driver
The following he
noted were needed to provide the right kind of support for manufacturing: policy
directives and support to drive export, incentives for research and
development, capacity support to help MSMEs to access available funds,
capability development to improve supply and quality of technical resources,
broadband improvement, and focus on our strengths – agro-processing, creative
and logistics.
JHTA Vice
President Nicola Madden Greg said a 75% decline in visitor arrivals was expected
and that airplane load capacity is expected to be between 40 and 50% instead of
the usual 80 percent; cruise tourism is expected to resume in the fourth
quarter of this year.
“However, major UK
and Canadian Tour operators were set to resume flights in September and there is
expectation of increased intra- regional travel,” she shared. “The local ‘staycation’
market will provide welcome support, but new business models and new markets
will need to be explored.”
In a media
interview later in the day PSOJ president Keith Duncan said that it was time
for Jamaica to move from planning to action. He noted that Jamaica was able to
achieve macroeconomic stability because there were strict criteria laid down by
the IMF and “what gets measured gets done”.
“Jamaica is 134
out of 190 in trade, import and export,” he noted, “and so we must now have the
will and the focus … Covid had exposed all our vulnerabilities. We have become
a nation of buyers and sellers” he said. He called for greater investment in
broadband and good governance to address these gaping shortcomings.
Kamala Harris
on Biden’s Presidential Ticket
Women of color
everywhere, and Jamaica in particular, rejoiced when US Presidential candidate
Joe Biden announced that his running mate would be Senator Kamala Harris the daughter
of Jamaican and Indian immigrants. Miss Harris made a riveting acceptance
speech honoring her family and Joe Biden, and criticizing the US president's
handling of the Covid pandemic. The President and his allies responded in harsh
tones. This reminded me of the attacks on Michelle Obama as described in her
book, “Becoming”. It is the cynical portrayal of the strong woman of colour as “the
angry black woman”. However, Senator Harris remained positive and dignified in subsequent
interviews. We are proud of her.
Happy
Birthday Marcus Garvey
Today, the 133rd
Birthday of Marcus Mosiah Garvey, the great man must be smiling down at the
prospect of a daughter of a Jamaican campaigning for high office, and at the enduring
strength of our democracy. It should be a national holiday, imbuing the nation
with his philosophy of dignity and self-reliance. As Stevie Wonder sang for
MLK, let us create some dubs for a Marcus Garvey Day.
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