Kristen Gyles | Our Government in the balances

It is sometimes said that it is not the party that does the best that wins the election but it’s the party that has the most screw-ups that loses.

The Government has been very busy doing good, but unfortunately, maybe even busier screwing up. It is amazing how such a productive government could manage to somehow attract the ire of such a large sect of the voting public.

In the latest of a series of Don Anderson-led polls commissioned by the People’s National Party (PNP), the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) trailed the PNP by almost eight percentage points. Of the 1,057 Jamaicans who were interviewed, 29 per cent said they would vote for the JLP if the general election was called soon and just under 37 per cent said they would vote for the PNP. The poll, which was conducted in April, represents the largest margin favouring the PNP in many years.

To compare, just before the September 2020 general election, the same pollster found that 37 per cent of registered voters intended to vote for the JLP while 25 per cent intended to vote for the PNP in the elections. As we know, the JLP won that election by a landslide. So, the tables have apparently turned and it’s very possible that the Government is struggling to understand why.

After many new government buildings, parks, paved and repaved and repaved roads, attempts at legislative reform (however constitutionally questionable) and improved economic indicators, why would such a hardworking government lose the election?

CONFLICTING VIEWS

First, let’s establish that there are some clearly conflicting views regarding the performance of the two parties. For example, eight per cent of respondents in the most recent poll said they would vote for the PNP because of their crime-fighting policies, yet 7.5 per cent said they would vote for the JLP because of their crime-fighting policies. Some 25.8 per cent of those who would vote for the JLP said the party creates more jobs, while 10.9 per cent said the PNP creates more jobs. Just over 16 per cent said the JLP offers better social programmes, while 17.6 per cent said the JLP’s social programmes are better.

Obviously then, the seemingly confused Jamaican public is undecided on those issues. However, more insight can be garnered from the distinctive characteristics of either party.

For example, 43.8 per cent of respondents said the PNP caters to the poor. Based on the poll results, it doesn’t seem any notable percentage of respondents had those thoughts in relation to the JLP. Another 14.8 per cent said the PNP involves citizens in decision-making, and it is more than doubtful that anyone would have said that about the JLP. These are the areas the ailing Government ought to be paying attention to.

Despite the views of the 43.8 per cent who may feel the JLP doesn’t do a good job of catering to the poor, actions taken by the Government during its current and previous terms in office demonstrate otherwise. The Government made a reasonable attempt at poverty alleviation during the pandemic through its numerous CARE programme initiatives, including grants for unemployed persons and entrepreneurial support for micro and small businesses. Otherwise, it has introduced additional scholarships for tertiary students, established new social housing initiatives and has generally adopted somewhat of a strong social focus. The Government just needs to do a better job of simplifying and highlighting what it does in that regard.

On the other hand, where the Government has fallen woefully short is in its autocratic-style decision-making, which has been interpreted by some as arrogance, and by others as a sheer lack of transparency and lack of appreciation of good governance.

MANY BLUNDERS

The Government has made many blunders throughout the past eight years. However, a loss at the polls will not be solely due the many mistakes, but due to a consistent unwillingness to ever admit to the mistakes and backtrack from them. To sum it up in one word – egotism. The tone-deaf ‘wrong and strong’ demeanour of the Government has been a turn-off, not just to the 14.8 per cent of respondents who said the Government does not involve citizens in decision-making but, doubtless, to many members of another group amounting to 8.8 per cent, who indicated that they simply want a change in government.

The Jamaican people expect their government to propose creative ideas that can help to alleviate some of the most pressing problems and take the country to higher heights. However, Jamaicans do not expect the Government to go rogue by imposing its own views on an unconvinced public.

There are numerous examples of the Government making questionable decisions and refusing to backtrack from them even in the face of widespread opposition. For example, last year, the Government engaged in a horrific grave-digging exercise when it doubled and tripled the salaries of some members of the political directorate while giving measly increases to many other lower-level public servants.

The fact that the Government thought this was justifiable is one thing. But what truly disappointed many Jamaicans was the Government’s doubling down on its position and its refusal to go back to the drawing board on the matter of public sector compensation. For several weeks Jamaicans protested physically, verbally, and in writing, with no adjustment made by the Government.

Well, they may as well enjoy the money while it lasts because many may not get another pay cheque from the public purse beyond September 2025.

It is not possible to go into all the recent incidences which demonstrate the Government’s somewhat dictatorial style of governance, but another that can’t go unmentioned is the way the contention over the continued states of emergency was handled. This will rightly be addressed in a column of its own.

Kristen Gyles is a free-thinking public affairs opinionator. Send feedback to kristengyles@gmail.com and columns@gleanerjm.com