Editorial | Fill vacancies!

Protesters in St Thomas who are demanding the holding of a by-election to fill a vacancy in the Municipal Council have laid down their placards and are quiet now, but their concerns cannot be simply brushed aside.

Former Morant Bay Councillor Rohan Byran died on May 1, this year. The division has more than 10,800 voters. Under the Representation of the People Act, the mayor acts in the position for three months, ostensibly allowing time for the organisation of a by-election.

Recently, the House of Representatives amended the act, extending the time for a by-election by a further 90 days. The St Thomas protesters complained that they have no one to look after their interests, particularly in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl.

The St Thomas protest comes as a salutary reminder of the situation in the constituency of South Trelawny, which has been without a member of parliament (MP) since September 2023.

Mrs Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert stepped down as Speaker of the House and MP after an Integrity Commission ruling that she should be charged in connection with the use of duty concession for the 2015 purchase of a Mercedes-Benz motor car, for which she failed to account in statutory declarations for six years.

In her resignation letter, the veteran politician who had served as MP for 16 years said she did not knowingly mislead the Integrity Commission, “it was a genuine oversight”.

Southern Trelawny has more than 19,000 voters in a population of 26,600 who have been deprived of political representation for close to a year. Who really cares? Not the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP). Not the Opposition. For its part, People’s National Party (PNP) General Secretary Dr Dayton Campbell, in reacting to the resignation while at a meeting in Albert Town, said the party was not focused on a by-election, rather on the general election and local government polls. Local government polls were held in February of this year and a general election is constitutionally due in 2025.

Dr Campbell was supported in those remarks by Mr Mark Golding, PNP president, whose focus at the time was on the fact that Mrs Dalrymple-Philibert’s name was incorrectly spelt in the news release advising of her resignation. Talk about relevance.

PRESSING THING

When an elected official vacates office, for whatever reason, the most pressing thing for an administration should be to fill such a position. Political representatives serve as the voice of the people, and their purpose is to represent the interests and concerns of their constituents and to advocate for policies that will benefit them.

There was a time when rural folk visited their MPs for help in various endeavours ranging from getting their children equipped for school to recommendations for important roles, including opening a bank account and getting a passport. In these modern times, there are electronic means of doing these basic functions but there remain many people who need help.

With the damage caused recently by Hurricane Beryl, persons in this large farming area would be reaching out to their MP for help and advice. Former MP Devon McDaniel has signalled his intention to contest the seat on behalf of the JLP in the next elections. But, for now, South Trelawny remains without a parliamentary representative.

Vacancies can create uncertainty and even instability in government, and can ultimately harm the economy. Promptly filling vacancies helps to maintain stability and confidence in the political system.

But the biggest role for a political representative, as we see it, is to hold officials accountable and prevent abuse of power and corrupt actions. Gaps in oversight and accountability will open up when vacant positions remain unfilled.

Democracy is certainly as strong as the people who uphold it. It is a great let-down if a pattern is allowed to emerge whereby such political vacancies are left unfilled for too long. That is a prescription for disrupting the proper functioning of government and hindering progress in the lives of people.