The national outcry after the auditor general's report on the management of the Jamaica Development Infrastructure Programme (JDIP) has culminated in Prime Minister Andrew Holness' decision to conduct a forensic audit.
At the recent forum organised by The Gleaner on the state of the Jamaican economy, Don Robotham, former UWI professor now teaching in New York, warned that Jamaica's two major political parties lack the social legitimacy necessary to rescue the country...
Occasionally, I have asked myself, what if I had remained that Friday afternoon in 1967, at the headquarters of the National Workers' Union (NWU) on South Camp Road to meet with Michael Manley, a meeting arranged by my father, after I had walked off my...
The Gleaner has been continuing its relentless campaign to get the political parties to focus on issues and ideas, but it seems to be waging a losing battle, what with the almost daily eruptions of excitement over scandals, political outbursts and...
The Jamaica Development Infrastructure Programme (JDIP) was trumpeted by the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) administration as the most significant infrastructure programme ever undertaken by the GOJ.
Jamaica is again in a high state of political expectation, with a new prime minister, not yet 40, and with the disappointment expressed by many towards the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) administration under former Prime Minister Bruce Golding. Much is wanted from this JLP administration under Prime Minister Andrew Holness.
Last week, Prime Minister Holness, on relieving Mike Henry from his Cabinet post, said he would not tolerate corruption in his administration. This was juxtaposed with Transparency International's release of its latest country Corruption Perception Index ranking, where Jamaica rated 3.3 (out of 10) and placed 86th out of 183 countries.
Today, the election trumpet will sound from the geographic centre of the island for all to hear everywhere. But the hype has gone flat. Everyone now knows the date - post-Christmas, pre-New Year, leaving a very narrow choice of dates which is neither here nor there unless the prime minister chooses to go the unprecedented route of calling it for a public holiday or a worship day...
Several months ago, as Jamaicans we rightly congratulated the Government for having taken the decision to effect the much-needed amendment to Chapter III of the Jamaica (Constitution) Order in Council 1962. This step ushered in the Charter of Rights.
Bill Clinton allegedly remarked that "politics is about polls and focus groups", and it certainly worked for him. Mr Clinton's research-based ability to 'feel their pain' created a bond with the American people that even Monica Lewinsky never broke, and he remains the most popular president since Ronald Reagan.
In many societies, the human rights of women and girls have been historically ignored or trivialised. Power-hungry leaders of the so-called democracies and the dictators on the other side have all patronised the women of their nations and, at convenient times, thrown the crumbs from their patriarchal dinner tables to the women who represent the feminine flavour of the day, month, year or political season.
In central Jamaica tonight, the prime minister should deal with the central issue on Jamaicans' minds, according to the polls: jobs, jobs, jobs. The election announcement is already anticlimactic, with the prime minister having teased us for so long and leaving it to everybody but himself to "call it".
OK, now we have found another reason why we might not want to vote for the incumbent Jamaica Labour Party (JLP). Or have we? Although it's early days yet, we got our wish. The chief executive officer of the National Works Agency (NWA) Wong-footed us and 'resigned'.
At the University of Technology's graduation exercise 2011, their chancellor and former prime minister of Jamaica, Edward Seaga, raised concerns about primary-school education here. Mr Seaga expressed the view that the primary education system is robbing students of their childhood by placing too much emphasis on their preparation for and performance...
While the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) main purpose has remained provision of balance-of-payments support, it is recognised that balance-of-payments problems are as much a creature of fiscal imbalances as of external shocks.
Far more important than whether Portia squares off with Andrew in a media debate - and that is important - is that certain critical issues don't get sidelined and marginalised in this obsession with the debt, tax, pension and public-sector reform.
The multiplicity of explanations postulated by both local and international analysts concentrate mainly on the economic and political factors, with few mentioning or even expounding on the protagonistic role that corruption played in the Greek meltdown.
It will be very easy to see if Prime Minister Andrew Holness means what he says about taking charge of creating "a new ethos of responsibility in all Jamaicans for Jamaica" [inaugural address].
"Call it, Andrew, call it!" Well, we waited and waited and the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) supporters turned green in anticipation but, alas, like the famous Bob Marley song, they waited in vain because he didn't call it.
The Sunday Gleaner of November 13, 2011 carried a story titled 'Scrap it! Braham wants key dual-citizenship provision axed', which reported on comments made by Attorney General Ransford Braham, in his private capacity, at a forum held at the Norman Manley Law School on Wednesday, November 9.
