United People's Party president Antonnette Haughton-Cardenas makes a point during The Gleaner's Editors' Forum held at the newspaper's offices, North Street, Kingston yesterday. - Rudolph Brown/Staff Photographer

JUST A little more than a year after she launched the United People's Party (UPP), Antonnette Haughton-Cardenas says she has become "more disillusioned" with the way politics is practised in Jamaica.

But a determined Mrs. Haughton-Cardenas said she would not quit her mission of trying to create a new brand of politics and is convinced she will win the St. Mary constituency where she is a candidate for the UPP.

Speaking to editors and senior reporters at The Gleaner's Editors' Forum yesterday, the UPP president revealed her creeping despondence has resulted from the widespread bribing of voters she has observed on the political hustings.

"I've become more disillusioned. I didn't know that people bought votes," Mrs. Haughton-Cardenas said. "I didn't know people gave people envelopes of money to support them. Now I know that for a fact."

The UPP president, who once hosted a local radio talk show, said her entry into politics has opened her eyes to the sordid nature of the country's political system, especially the way politicians swap personal benefits for voter support.

"If I knew that this is how ugly it was, one year ago, I would have thought twice (before entering politics)," she said.

Despite these obstacles, the UPP president said she would stand her ground and focus on her mission of helping to change the country's politics.

"I think that I was sent here to do and to learn and I'm going to do and I'm going to learn," she said. "It doesn't mean that I have to like the process."

She spoke with confidence that she would win the St. Mary Central seat where she is up against the People's National Party's Morais Guy and Sutcliffe Haughton-James of the Jamaica Labour Party.

The UPP, which will have nine candidates in the October 16 general election, is running on a platform of free education up to secondary level; dismantling of Jamaica's tribal political system and adequate health care for all Jamaican citizens.

Mrs. Haughton-Cardenas said she was open to using money from the gaming industry to finance education. In fact, she said her party was in favour of having a government-run lottery, the proceeds of which could be pumped into the education system.

Meanwhile, the UPP president has strongly supported calls for state funding of political parties. She argued that the failure of the state to pick up the tab for election campaigning could leave political parties in the grip of big business interests.

"Right now we are being held hostage by big business. They own the politics," she said. "Our politics is a hostage to special interests in Jamaica and that is not democracy," the UPP president said.

At the same time, Mrs. Haughton-Cardenas said she would not rely on the support of corporate Jamaica to run her election campaign. Over the past year the party has faced severe difficulties in getting financial support from large businesses to carry out its work.