The Line in the sand for the JLP?

The above cartoon by Lasmay Jamaican Gleaner cartoonist reminds us of the imaginary line drawn in the sand by Prime Minister Bruce Golding during the turbulent times following his “not in my cabinet” comment on the BBC in 2008 but one wonders now if that same imaginary line is not now being or already drawn for him and his administration with all the hubbub eating away at the Jamaica Labour Party’s political capital.

The Manatt issue in relation to Jamaica Labour Party strongman and alleged drug dealer Dudus Cooke with strong accusations of persons in the JLP acting on their own validity to try and skirt the Extradition Treatise with the United States and the opposition leader Portia Simpson Miller calling for the resignation of Minister of Justice and Attorney General Dorothy Lightbourne dominate radio and television newscasts since it first debuted some two months ago, a controversial casino gaming bill has been sitting on the Governor General’s desk which was passed in both houses from March 2010 the GG who happens to be a staunch Seventh Day Adventist may be opposed to the bill but he has no choice but to sign as the bill is already passed, then there is the issue of the high crime wave affecting the psychological profile of the country with the latest awful story of the five year old whose throat was slashed shaking up the nation right in the middle of child’s month and over 500 murders since the start of the year, the almost twenty year old Charter of Rights Bill dangling on a lifeline of whether to hang or not is pending with the deliberate exclusion of discrimination clauses in regards to sexual orientation and disabilities as hinted to in a recent Jamaicans for Justice public forum on the issues.

The apparent closure of Air Jamaica on April 30th in a bid to meet the International Monetary Fund (IMF) tests so as to curtail our debts and expenses has not gone down well with many in the population and former Air Jamaica workers, the strike actions taken by Nurses repeatedly for their reclassification exercises to continue and pay increases following negotiations have been hounding both previous and present administrations with the JLP promising the nurses their fair share during the election campaign in 2007 which to date cannot materialize, the two day strike action by teachers on May 3rd and 4th demanding their retroactive salaries as stupid as they sound with a political agenda the Jamaica Teachers’ Association with known top brass members linked to the opposition Peoples National Party is complaining that money could have been taken from the Air Jamaica redundancy and pension funds to pay them, imagine the teachers still have their jobs while Air Jamaica workers are being made redundant and they want a piece of their pie?, then there is the strike action by the National Water Commission workers on May 4th still unresolved as at the preparation of this post, the poor results in the grade four literacy tests and the Ministry of Education’s scrambling to solve a public relations firestorm launched by sections of the media all point to the nails being driven in the political coffin of the present administration.

But one wonders of the opposition People’s National Party PNP is capable as they have not yet fully demonstrated the capacity in my view to take the reigns of governance and with all the present problems some caused during their eighteen year rule how they will solve them is unclear they seem reactionary more than suggesting any new ideas as the utterances of the leader Portia Simpson Miller though well written and well presented orally lack that charisma she once had in her early days even up to when she took over as Prime Minister following P.J. Patterson’s departure.

They certainly have far more quiet support by GLBTQ people than the Jamaica Labour Party with many GLBTQ occupying places of power in the structure but they often play the hypocrite and are mum on LGBT and advocacy issues so as to keep their political structure in place and not ruffle feathers of leaders or the population given the political sensitivities involved it could mean suicide for any regime that may try to take on these issues in any direct way with the public’s knowledge. Such inferences have been made by both members of the opposition and JLP, the Prime Minister himself and even the Attorney General. In a recent interview on HIV interventions in the MSM community issues the former Chief Epidemiologist of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Peter Figueroa said he knows that many politicians disagree with the buggery law in private but in order to save face they publicly follow the homophobic lines as now reign in the public domain.

The recent incident where member of Parliament Ernie Smith noted for his caustic stance on buggery and homosexuality was said to have received nude photos in a letter from a white male suggesting he the MP eat the photographed Caucasian male excretory orifice as messaged he should kiss his *** clearly there are sections of the gay community that are incensed. The community and by extension the disgruntled members of the public may just very well vote the Jamaica Labour Party out of power making them a one term government a rare occurrence in our political history just to see their backs leaving the parliament as relief from the pressures today. However as had happened before many voters don’t really take stock of the parties and what they say they can offer while in governance in their manifestos and persons vote on emotional lines.

The gay community on a whole certainly does not speak with one voice politically despite the presence of powerful persons of such persuasion around. It is well known from top to bottom that there are gays in the very cabinet where Bruce Golding says he doesn’t want them in. We know though that the stance took by Bruce then was to sure up his perception in the public’s mind since he had just won the election and the challenges were on in earnest by the opposition for the citizenship issue of Members of Parliament holding US and other nations Visas and green cards along with the just concluded boycott issues in San Francisco.

It’s two years plus though into the life of the JLP let us see if they will be able to redeem themselves from all the issues not plaguing them and if they will turn on the sexual orientation matter being included in the Charter of Rights. We also require a mature debate on homosexuality in Jamaica with a close look at the Buggery Law’s decriminalization or repulsion, privacy and individual rights.

What say you on the issue?

Peace and tolerance

H