Our democracy is underperforming

Dear Editor,

The People’s National Party (PNP) is yet again in turmoil as three vice-presidents, a chairman and the president of the PNP Youth Organisation have resigned, making Mark Golding’s statements about unity and readiness more about what he wants to happen, not what is actually happening.

While I generally don’t care much about what happens to their little club, the ramifications of their feud can impact the democracy of the nation as they are the only Opposition party at this point in time. This shows that the fundamentals of this democracy is flawed.

Many countries have multiple political parties that participate in elections, but on the ballots in Jamaica’s last election, we only had two outdated ones — the PNP and the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP). If one party has a problem, the whole system does. I don’t think that having two choices is much of a choice, and I certainly don’t believe in any party having the right to survive simply because it is needed to keep its rival from achieving political monopoly and having free rein to pillage the public purse.

This nation’s democracy is underperforming. What it needs is additional political parties — even one — that can catch the eye of the undecided voter with practical, sound policies that work for long-term economic growth and development to raise the standard of living for everyone, rich and poor, and lessen absolute poverty and crime, as well as bring a wave of prosperity, industry, progress, and financial independence.

We don’t need anymore promises of scarce benefits and spoils, missed developmental opportunities for the nation, and ideological rhethoric that seeks to create a utopia that will never exist, instead of being as developed as Singapore.

Rather than trying to sell hope, our politicians might as well tell us to put our hopes in (insert whatever deity you worship here), Supreme Ventures games, and the visa application process, because practical policies and solutions do not rest in hope, they are the results of action.

We should also strengthen civil society, from which the majority of voters come, to understand the fundamentals of good governance, as pressure from the rich, middle class, and special interest groups is not enough to ensure accountability, and organisations like the National Integrity Action (NIA) and other anti-corruption bodies seem largely toothless in holding politicians and civil servants accountable.

Additionally, the courts have proven to be largely inefficient and slow in handling high-profile corruption cases, leaving the resolution of said cases in limbo for a long time, after which the offending parties usually get away scot-free.

Because we have a nation where the courts are slow, civil society is weak, the masses are largely uneducated about civics and are tribalistic, anti-corruption bodies are toothless, and the impending death of a political party threatens the fabric of Government, we are not that far off from experiencing the fate Haiti or any of the other tumultuous sub-saharan African nations.