Jamaican politics is the gift which keeps on giving especially if you enjoy drama of the highest variety. Now I will be the first to admit that much like all drama we secretly watch – I’m thinking of shows like The Maury Show, Jerry Springer, or Anything on TLC – it has elements of crassness, brutishness and just plain stupidity. Who, for example, can forget the initial defence and then distancing of George Wright after he was alleged to have beaten a woman with a chair? Who can forget the taking to court of Dwayne Vaz because he overlooked a summons from the Integrity Commission?
Truly it is the wine bottle that knows no end. The drama has continued, this time turning up the heat under the Prime Minister. The good Prime Minister it seems was/is being investigated for illicit enrichment by the Integrity Commission and he has taken issue with it. He has taken the thing in such a negative manner that he has sought to bring the Integrity Commission, and 2 of its directors to court while also looking to strike out the Integrity Commission act as unconstitutional. Now I want us to let that sink in, the Prime Minister wants the body wound up as is… because it is unconstitutional and breaches human rights.
This has to be a joke, this is a body that was selected by his parliament, this was an act passed by his Parliament. It was drafted by his ministers, vetted by his ministers, okayed by his ministers and advisors and got the stamp of approval from the Prime Minister in a glowing speech in parliament. Setting aside the matter of illicit enrichment – it will all come out in the wash – the man has admitted in court documents, whether he likes it or not, that his administration knows bugger all as it relates to what is constitutional and what isn’t.
For an administration which has had so many of its laws challenged and struck down as unconstitutional, this is a stark and frank admission. It is the kind of admission which is inadvertent and must be taken at face value, they know nothing when it comes to what is legal or not under the Constitution despite having oodles of lawyers in their ranks. With this admission how can anyone take them seriously when they speak on matters of the constitution? How can we believe them when they say they have a plan or will do this when even they admit they are unsure if the things they legislate can pass muster?
How can we take them seriously when they stand and pontificate about the need to abrogate and infringe on the broader public’s rights in the fight against crime, when they at the same time cry foul when their rights are allegedly breached in the same fight against crime? Is it one rule for me and another for thee? Is this the official proclamation of the 2 Jamaicas which has always existed but politicians have claimed to be trying to break down? Is the prime minister really saying that his rights are more sacrosanct than the rights of others?
For a party which has correctly highlighted the potential issues with the PNP and one of their candidates as it relates to optics and the fight against crime, one has to wonder if they are deaf, dumb, and blind to how this looks, hears and feels coming out of one’s mouth. It stinks of hypocrisy at best and the defense of criminality at the worst. These are actions which would have seen the removal of ministers, the precedent has been set, so for him to challenge the Integrity Commission in court raises so many flags that we can no longer see the field.
The truth is the JLP, and more specifically their golden boy, BroGad, is on the horns of a dilemma. If the courts rule in his favour they are essentially saying the government and everyone attached to the act is an idiot; if it rules against him he will more than likely face investigations from the TAJ and FID who are conspicuously silent baring a few comments on this issue of national importance.
The man who always seems one step ahead of the game politically has fallen in a trap of his own making and the word on the street is that some members of the JLP are none too happy especially as the private sector has raised the alarm with the actions taken by the Prime Minister including the shelving of the law covering unexplained wealth orders. This as they rightly suggest will impact Jamaica on the international financial stage and hamper the hard work done by the administration and the sacrifices made by the people.
The PNP like the JLP is viewed with skepticism by the private sector when it comes to corruption, but they believe from personal interaction by them and others that Mark is clean. They will support him regardless of what happens selection-wise so long as he remains viewed as clean. Andrew while not viewed as dirty is definitely seen as stained. Too many questions have been raised and the answers make no sense. The defence from Labourites that it is a witch hunt makes no sense when we remember who chaired and were members of selection committees.
The Prime Minister must understand that this is bigger than him, and that this action will go some way to deciding how the country goes forward. He has been accused of having authoritarian tendencies and this action does not put those accusations to rest. Whichever way the case ends the nation loses as the Integrity Commission, a body which is designed to root out corruption in politics and the public sector – something Jamaicans have labelled an issue for decades – is becoming a beating stick for one side, the side in power and with the ability to change the laws governing it.
This recent bit of drama is just confirming what the non-voter already thinks that this is a corrupt lot and a pox on their house. We may dislike the 2 major parties, but a populace who views government as a den of thieves is not healthy for the country or democracy regardless of how we describe it. This type of behaviour, whether he means it or not, is opening the door to autocracy and dictatorship and we should all be worried regardless of where we stand ideologically or politically. A public who are disinterested in governance and a governance structure with little or no oversight is a recipe for disaster and state capture. We already tick one of those boxes with record levels of voter apathy and this move threatens to tick the remaining box.
This drama will have long-lasting effects, it will either be the destruction of Dr Holness as a politician, or it will set the precedent for governments destroying legislation simply because it suits them. We can only sit and watch from the sidelines as the drama unfolds and the impact on the nation becomes more evident but win or lose the Prime Minister will end up with egg on his face while the country, because of this, is further battered and bruised.
