Mark Wignall | Preparing for the sprint

With just two and a half weeks left until the September 3 general election, the political vibe in the streets is all in favour of peace, love and conviviality. Although both the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the People’s National Party (PNP) are claiming victory before the contest, whether the opinion poll says so or not, it seems to me that the JLP is doing better than the PNP in handling its burst of contentment and assurance.

Last Wednesday, like the one before, the road was flush with bits and pieces of wit, reason and laughter. The one going the rounds concerned the matter of the scenario of the PNP winning the election and deliberately going out of its way not to continue the JLP’s ‘winning’ policies.

I don’t care. PNP or JLP shouldn’t matter. The infrastructure laid out is reminiscent of the fact that the JLP’s policies ought to be pro-business. Its run beyond 2020, its errors of policy and management, tried best in living up to a market economy.

The PNP desperately wants its best chance at getting a shot at formulating and running a pro business administration and, unlike in the mid 1990s, not making a total hash of it. So Mark Golding wants to prove something. And he needs to do so with his full team with him working up front.

The bits and pieces of wit and reason did not include anything politically useful for the PNP that would stick on you.

But one reader said “I’m even more convinced now that MarkieG will be the next prime minister of Jamaica. Just mark my words. As I told you before, I’ll call you the day after the elections and remind you of this conversation.” And, unfortunately, I have forgotten the conversation.

Last Wednesday, I spent some time, about four hours, in three constituencies. If there was one thing common about them, it was the liberal flow of cash and drinking and laughter. It did seem, however, that there was more cash moving in the JLP circles. And, why not? Why should the JLP, as the party in power, not get the same route in funding as all parties in power do at election time.

The JLP and its success in huge tourism-related matters is well established. As the next member of parliament from North Central St Andrew, Delano Seiveright, the expected growth in that industry will be ideally poised with the sort of quality personnel in the JLP. I’ve stated before that I’m no fan of party manifestos. Both the PNP and JLP have their bright stars and young technocrats who can embellish shelves of economic and political ‘facts’ and give new meaning to fancy words.

For that reason, I found myself fully on the team of the JLP when it published its lists of achievements. One had the freedom to criticise its sufficiency line by line, but it was much more difficult to point out its absence. There are still some who believe that Golding’s skin colour should be a matter of import in this country. The JLP’s Warmington set that hateful tone when he claimed that no white man can be PM of Jamaica.

Yes, that other part, the teachers.

Warmington has never fully fleshed out his hypocrisy. Why was it okay for Eddie Seaga, a white man born in the US, to be PM, but then there is a blot on Golding. Mr Holness has the type of skin colour that is harmless and neutral in causing colour in politics. The most they can say is that Mr Holness has a somewhat bulbous nose that some women may find attractive.

That said, PM Holness has voices in his head, as we all do. One is there to inform him that he didn’t attend the schools in town and that, even if he wanted to claim a bit of elitism, he never felt the desire. He simply continued to push on, push on.

The factors driving Jamaicans who may be thinking of voting could be the question, has this government done all it could to make life better for the people of this country? What do we think of the low employment, a level of criminality that makes the decline pleasing and comforting.

There is never too much that teachers can be offered that would be considered too much. I know a few teachers, all are female, and they all are underpaid. Some, with all of that sorry state to bear each day, there are times that they take home students to give free lessons and a bellyful.

It is good sense for the JTA to punch at the Government for salary increases. An election is in the air and the JLP wants its third term. The Government is likely to bow. As I am writing this article on Thursday, August 21, a meeting is to be held before you read this.

Both know the stakes operating.

Mark Wignall is a political and public affairs analyst. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and mawigsr@gmail.com