Focus more on governance and less on politics

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Governance and politics, though having a correlation, are not the same! Governance has to do with how we do what we do; the process of making and enforcing decisions and rules within a society. It is administered via a government through intricate systems, processes and institutions. A government is obligated to oversee a nation’s affairs, manage resources and guarantee the realisation of human rights effectively and efficiently, transparently, with consensus, in an equitable and inclusive manner, using participatory approaches while being responsive to the people, adhering to rule of law, and being accountable. These are the principles of good governance.

Politics has to do with electoral advantage; the struggle for power between parties clamouring to form the administration of government that manages the country’s resources.

Every well-thinking Jamaican should be more concerned about governance, but for many, politics gets greater attention. It is within the realm of governance that most civil society organisations (CSOs) operate holding governments accountable to their people. This is irrespective of the political party which leads the government of the day. However, a criticism of a policy of the government, is not seen as a response to governance, but looked at through the dichotomous lens of politics – seen as a reproach of the party forming the government and in turn, a support for the opposition. Different CSOs focus on different aspects of governance and at times, their silence on certain issues is misconstrued as being for/against a particular political party, when it is an indication that those issues might not be governance-related.

Pits us against each other

This partisan way of thinking only serves to derail where we need to go as a people. We need to focus less on historical ideology of political parties (or whose household voted a certain way in the past), and more on policies currently being proposed or implemented and ask ourselves, if what is suggested best for our people and will they achieve the desired results? While history helps to shape the future, it also must be used as a basis for lessons learnt. And while political differences in many jurisdictions are based on ideology (as this usually helps to shape policies) in modern Jamaica, many see no real fundamental difference between the two main political parties. If this is the case, why focus on this thing called politics which is polarising, pits us against each other, promotes toxicity, and send many into the realm of indifference?

Regardless of which party has formed the government, its governance is what should be examined. And likewise, for those seeking to govern, it is their suggested policies that should be scrutinised, not so much, the bearers of those proposals.

We need to work toward making Jamaica a better place for all, with good governance as our focus!

DAVINA GAYLE