Politicians, listen to the deafening silence
THE RECENT local government elections spoke volumes, albeit with the major contribution coming from the ‘silent majority’. More than 70 per cent of registered voters decided not to exercise their right to choose their local government representatives. In my opinion, this does not represent voter apathy (indifference). It represents voter frustration, dissatisfaction, and disappointment. Most Jamaicans believe that it does not matter who is at the helm because both political parties are far more similar than they are dissimilar.
This was not just any run-of-the-mill localgovernment election. It was an unofficial referendum. It was a mock exam for the general election. It was a sounding board, a testing ground for the politicians. Despite their hard work, many achievements, hype, optics, narratives, and metrics, the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) needed to know their true status in the minds of the electorate. Similarly, the People’s National Party (PNP) needed to know if they made any progress after their very poor performance in the 2020 general election and their interminable internal problems.
Voter participation has steadily waned in our general elections, and despite its importance, this local government election turnout has been dismal – the lowest ever. When citizens withhold their vote, they are de facto choosing ‘none of the above’.
A friend highlighted to me that people should vote for any candidate that represents the political party that [they believe] has better policies. However, I know a member of parliament who works like a dog to promote and instigate great policies for the betterment of all the citizenry under his purview.Yet when the local government results were completed, the ‘other side’ triumphed emphatically.
In reality, the average voter does not dwell on the policies of political parties because party policies get lost within the hype, fanfare, and promises of campaigning. Policies can be difficult to separate from the disingenuous fluff.
POLICY FALLACY
A good example of policy fallacy was the promise to stamp out crime. Jamaicans were promised that there would be an anti-crime policy so efficient that we would be able to sleep with our windows and doors open at nights … if a certain party were triumphant. Well … that party was triumphant, and unless you live in a very secure, gated community, it is suicidal to sleep with your windows and doors open at nights. I noted, with exceeding sadness, that in the not too distant past, at least two homes were destroyed by fire, and the occupants perished in the flames, all because burglar bars (that we were promised we would no longer need) prevented rescuers from gaining entry.
Therein lies a serious problem. Simply put, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Although this country has policies that are enhancing economic growth, unless they translate into a better standard of living for the ‘common man’, those policies mean nothing to the electorate. Until everyday citizens can see that policies are improving their lives or will improve their lives in the near future, they are abstract and [likely] only to benefit people of a privileged ilk because trickledown economics is not happening.
When the PNP lost the general election in 2011, it appeared to be because of extreme discord, combined with malaise within the party, a paucity of progressive ideas in the national interest, useless policies and programmes because they were in perpetual limbo, taking the voters for granted, and clumsy campaigning. The JLP eked ahead and addressed some of the shortcomings of the former administration.Yet something must be going wrong because the people of Jamaica want this administration to know that there are serious unresolved problems. Most people were smirking at the efforts of the PNP, but they made a very good showing at the polls.
RAMPANT CORRUPTION
I am going to be blunt. The citizenry is aware of rampant corruption at many levels and in many quarters of society. This administration has not changed that egregious problem. Despite the good job that the constabulary is doing, crime, and especially serious crime, remains scary for the general public. Gangrelated and murder-for-hire killings are not uncommon.
Jamaica’s World Bank classification as an upper-middle-income country seems stunningly unbelievable until you realise that an extremely few citizens are raking in billions. Others are seeing hundreds of millions in profit while the majority of citizens struggle to survive from one day to the next … in support of the multimillionaires and billionaires. All the big words and macroeconomic jargon sound impressive, but they mean nothing to the ‘common man’ when people suffer on crowded hospital benches, fret over their safety, and grimace when the food and utility bills punch them in the gut.
Until individuals realise that the society will not tolerate illegality and indiscipline, until the rules and regulations are [consistently] enforced, until people see that corruption anywhere is dealt with swiftly and severely, we will never see a reduction in crime and violence.
The citizenry knows that various administrations were never in control when they see rampant indiscipline throughout our society; troubling criminality; dangerous and blatant ignoring of our traffic laws; people constructing what they want, wherever they feel like; the setting up of business within residential zones; disregarding the Noise Abatement Act; systemic corruption, and unaccountability.
The silent 70 per cent is shouting at the top of their political voices. Instead of berating and criticising the electorate who abstain, the politicians should listen to their loud and clear message.