Jamaica Observer column published MON 19 July 2021
by Jean Lowrie-Chin
It was ironical that just a few days after a relative
abroad shared an inspiring YouTube video on National Hero and founder of the
PNP Norman Washington Manley, news came that the Chairman and Vice Presidents
of the Party, and President of the PNPYO had resigned from their positions. The
video, produced by YeKengalé, and featuring interviews with PNP elders P.J.
Patterson, Burchell Whiteman and Arnold Bertram, spoke of the perseverance and
integrity of N.W Manley. They described his collegiality with JLP leader Sir
Alexander Bustamante whom he supported even after Manley’s defeat in the 1962
General Elections. Significantly, former JLP leader Bruce Golding also spoke of
NW’s dedication to the development of our Constitution.
So here we have a political party founded by this
shining Jamaican, now foundering as positions become hardened. In Saturday’s front page Observer lead by Arthur Hall, he
noted, “Last month, the party went public with news of its unity push with the
person given the job to lead the charge, former General Secretary Maxine
Henry-Wilson, warning the Comrades that without unity the PNP would be in
serious trouble.
“‘The public can't believe that you have the
capacity to lead if internally you can't even talk to each other properly. So,
the work that the party has to do, and is doing, has to be brought to the fore,
and the disunity has to take a back seat...It is not going to disappear, but we
all need to have a larger purpose around which we are revolving,’ Henry-Wilson
told the Jamaica Observer”.
Our shop
was blessed to serve the then Electoral Advisory Committee led by William Chin
See with membership including Mrs Henry-Wilson of the PNP and Ryan Peralto of
the JLP. I recall the strong arguments as they discussed revisions to the
Representation of the People Act, but the respect and humour of mature deliberations.
Despite
Mrs Henry-Wilson’s wise counsel, it seems that the damage has gone too deep to
resolve internal differences. Arthur Hall quotes from Krystal Tomlinson’s
resignation letter: “I will not continue to
serve where there is a wavering commitment to integrity; where parish and
region chairmen engineer and facilitate fraudulent behaviour and have the
audacity to parade themselves as 'untouchables' because of their proximity to
the leadership of the party.”
It is a crying shame that such accusations are being levelled
at the leaders of the Party that Norman Manley built. May they find a way to
heal – in the words of the late Edward Seaga when he dealt with a rift in his
Party, “Light a candle, sing a Sankey and find your way back home”.
PM Holness on New York TV
Meanwhile Prime Minister Andrew Holness, the youngest
Jamaican elected to that Office, had an excellent interview with New York Fox 5
host Rosanna Scotto last week, organised by Jamaica Consul General Alsion
Wilson. We are grateful to Scotto for her kind words on Jamaica: “I can't wait to come back and visit – the entertainment, the people, the
food, the water, the weather – everything is just about perfect there.” She
noted about PM Holness, “through compassionate dialogue and
inclusiveness, he is ushering in a new generation of transformative development
and leadership.”
In response to her question on our
state of affairs, he noted, “I'm very proud of the fact
that Jamaica has resolved its management of its economic affairs and I believe
we are on a very good course having gone through several IMF programmes to
entrench this kind of fiscal stability and fiscal prudence... We are now on a
trajectory for growth… We are creating the environment regulatory and otherwise
… we are also tackling other
institutional and development issues such as strengthening our bureaucracy to
deal with things such as corruption, but at the same time to become more
efficient.”
He noted the Administration’s heavy investment
in national security, “long term investments which will have signal effects on
the transformation of our country”. He disclosed that his Government “in a few
months … will roll out some transformative policies for the education sector.”
The PM referred to the
Government’s work towards containment of Covid, explaining our protocols for
testing and quarantine, and our ‘resilient corridor’ for visitors. “We expect
that in August we should have a sufficient supply of vaccines to start
widespread and mass vaccinations,” he said.
In response to his thoughts
on the situation in Haiti, he remarked, “It saddens me. I knew President Moïse personally … my heart goes out to his wife. I hope she is recovering
speedily … We want to see stability and peace for the people of Haiti.”
Floods in Europe
The heaviest rainfall in a
century broke the banks of rivers in Germany and Belgium and a dike in Holland,
leaving over 120 persons dead and scores missing. It was heartbreaking to see
the reports homes swept away and of small business owners who had just readied
their shops for reopening after the Covid closure, only to see them destroyed
by powerful currents. Leaders have ascribed this catastrophe to climate change.
We send our sympathy to these members of the European Union, which has been incredibly
supportive of Jamaica.
Best wishes Observer colleagues
Jamaica Observer welcomes
back the steady, sharp Julian Richardson as their Online Content Manager. The experienced
Dashan Hendricks has been appointed Business Editor while ace writer Andrew
Laidley will be Senior Business Reporter. Earlier this year, former Advertising Manager
Natalie Chin, a veritable dynamo, was appointed Deputy Managing Director. It is
great to see the focus of our media houses on the strengthening of their teams
– no wonder Jamaica has been in the top ten countries for press freedom for many
years.
Concacaf Gold Cup, Olympics
Last week we cheered our
Reggae Boyz as they triumphed over Suriname and Guadeloupe, making their way
into the quarter-finals for the Concacaf Gold Cup. They enjoy the keen guidance
of coach Theodore “Tappa” Whitmore who sent us into a state of euphoria with
his two goals in the 1998 World Cup. We wish them well in their continued quest
this week.
Meanwhile, our athletes are
making their way to Japan for the Olympics which will have its official opening
this Thursday. We have high hopes for our stars and aspirants, as they compete in
the guarded environment of Japan’s state of emergency. There will be no
spectators in the stands but we ask them to imagine the loud cheers of their
faithful Jamaican fans who will be with them every breathless step of the way.
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