Two-mouthed games on
Political flip-flopping, it seems, has become the modus operandi in the Mark Golding-led People’s National Party (PNP). the chasm, for example, between the positions espoused on the novel coronavirus pandemic by the opposition spokesperson on health Dr Morais Guy and that of Golding, the leader of Her Majesty’s loyal opposition, is conspicuous.
Flip-flopping on crucial national issues is never a good sign of a Governmentin-waiting. It says to the electorate that the Opposition has not found its marbles. Flip-flopping is also more than a hint of deep divisions within the Opposition’s ranks.
In Western liberal democracies, the Opposition — at a minimum — has to impress the electorate that it is ready to take the reins of leading and administering the country’s affairs. To do so, among other things, it must demonstrate cohesiveness in its pronouncement on policy. In doing so, it needs to present a bankable set of strategies, not mere holding patterns. Its strategies must address the pressing matters of citizens. An Opposition, which speaks out of both sides of its mouth effectively sounds its own death knell.
Two-mouthed games
Recall that in February 2021 Opposition Leader Mark Golding’s response to the presentation of Prime Minister Andrew Holness in Parliament emitted evidence of an obvious and profound difference between Golding’s prescriptions for dealing with the then surge in novel coronavirus cases and that of his Opposition spokesperson on health and wellness Dr Morais Guy. Many Jamaicans were left wondering whether Golding and his health spokesperson were on the same page, let alone in the same book.
In June, Golding came out in support of Prime Minister Holness’s decision to reopen the entertainment and creative sectors. Among other things, Golding said this in Parliament on June 22, 2021: “Thank you for your presentation. I think that many people will be relieved to see and hear some easing of some of the restrictions under which all of us have been living for a very long time now. The adjustment of the curfew hours — I think it’s effective July 1 — I know many people will feel that it’s overdue, but it’s very welcome.
“I want to say how much I appreciate the gestures that are being made towards the entertainment sector, which has been really very, very hard hit by this pandemic. Many of them, the practitioners, people who depend on entertainment, and you alluded to some of the different industries, subsectors that depend on it, from the fashion industry right round to security and so many other things, food and beverage. The idea of giving them a break with the 50 per cent discount on some of the statutory fees that are payable in applying for events. Minister [Desmond] Mckenzie, I think you have a role in that, and I think that is a very good thing.”
In the face of the mentioned endorsement by Golding, sections of the media reported on July 21, 2021, that Dr Guy had warned of a spike in novel coronavirus cases following the reopening of the entertainment sector as evidenced in this headline, for example: ‘Opposition spokesman on health predicts spike in COVID-19 cases following reopening of entertainment sector’ (Nationwide News Network, July 21, 2021. The news item noted these and other details: “Opposition spokesman on health Dr Morais Guy says reopening the entertainment sector and other activities that require mass gathering will cause a spike in COVID-19 cases.”
Golding and Dr Guy are like ships going in opposite directions. I hope their divergent positions on this critical national issue of the pandemic is not at all related to the fact that Dr Guy supported Dr Peter Phillips in the bitter leadership battle between Golding’s close friend and long-time business partner, Peter Bunting, in 2019, or the fact that Dr Guy supported Lisa Hanna in the severely contentious leadership race between Member of Parliament for St Andrew Southern Mark Golding and Member of Parliament for St Ann South Eastern Lisa Hanna.
One does not need to light a lamp, as is said in the rural parts, to realise that the PNP is still supremely divided. A recent squabble outside its headquarters at 89 Old Hope Road, followed by the expulsion of long-time PNP campaigner Karen Cross, and several claims about loyalists belonging to the Riseunited faction replacing acolytes of the ONEPNP crew, do not augur well for the PNP.
The PNP continues to be in a state of political free fall since it was kicked from Jamaica House on February 25, 2016.
more dissonance
Mark Golding has been trumpeting the reopening of the economy for many months. He says this is necessary to protect especially the poor and vulnerable. Recently, Prime Minister Holness began an islandwide tour to encourage the vaccination of our citizens. Holness has said on numerous occasions that vaccination is a prerequisite for a return to PRE-COVID-19 normality.
Dr Guy came out swinging against this initiative as evidence in this headline: ‘Opposition calls on prime minister to discontinue vaccination tour’ (Nationwide News Network, September 1, 2021). The news item noted, among other things: “Opposition spokesman on health Dr. Morais Guy is calling on Prime Minister Andrew Holness to discontinue the vaccination tour.
“According to Dr Guy, the People’s National Party has vocalised their concerns about the tour becoming a super spreader for the virus. He says the Government’s decision is ill-advised.”
To date the Opposition has not presented any evidence that the prime minister’s trek across the country is a super spreader of the novel coronavirus.
Vaccination has been identified as the best escape route out of the pandemic by globally renowned virologists, immunologists, public health specialists, epidemiologists, and various medical experts. These include the head of the internationally respected University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) Professor Michael Osterholm, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the chief medical advisor to US President Joe Biden, Anthony Fauci. I could list dozens of other world-renowned experts who support vaccination as the best escape from the pandemic.
Here, in Jamaica, public health expert of global stature Professor Peter Figueroa; noted health leaders; associate professor at the School of Public Health at the University of Technology,