Letter of the Day | MPs must be leaders of vision, integrity, and competence

THE EDITOR, Madam:

I wish to commend Howard Mitchell and Michael McAnuff-Jones for their excellent article, ‘MPs require capabilities, not checklists’. Their analysis highlights a crucial truth: members of parliament (MPs) must be more than administrators of procedure; they must be leaders of vision, integrity, and competence.

The call to move beyond mechanistic “outputs” towards the deeper qualities of character, judgement, and leadership is both timely and necessary. If Jamaica is to strengthen its democracy, Parliament must nurture MPs who can command respect, demonstrate empathy, and act with integrity while navigating the complex demands of governance.

Building on their perspective, I suggest several steps that could make reform both practical and impactful:

1. Educational standards – While Parliament must remain inclusive, a baseline of secondary education - or equivalent professional experience – would help ensure MPs have the foundational skills for effective lawmaking.

2. Mandatory training – Every MP should undergo structured induction in constitutional law, ethics, and constituency service, followed by ongoing training on emerging issues, such as digital governance and climate resilience.

3. Stronger oversight – While the Integrity Commission provides an important safeguard, its limited enforcement powers call for strengthening. Jamaica would benefit from a parliamentary standards authority with the jurisdiction to monitor MP conduct, enforce conflict-of-interest rules, and sanction breaches.

4. Performance and transparency – MPs should be evaluated not only on attendance, but also on the quality of their contributions, responsiveness to constituents, and ethical standing.

5. Constituency accountability – MPs should be required to hold regular town hall meetings and table constituency reports in Parliament.

6. Leadership development – Structured mentorship and professional development for MPs would help instill higher standards of service and prepare younger parliamentarians for leadership roles.

Finally, reform cannot be left to Parliament alone. Constituents should insist on regular meetings, demand constituency reports, and use available transparency tools to track their MP’s performance.

What is encouraging is that Jamaica already has part of the foundation with institutions like MIND, the Justice Training Institute, The University of the West Indies, and civil society groups such as Jamaicans for Justice. By expanding their roles and linking them with parliamentary reform, we could create a comprehensive framework to professionalise Parliament, while preserving inclusivity and public trust.

HERMAN ATHIAS