Is 'Dean' the final blow?

Published in the Jamaica Gleaner: Monday | August 27, 2007

Garth Rattray

I am no to any political party and so I view things objectively. I have watched, with interest, the ascension of Mrs. Portia Simpson Miller to the position of president of the People's National Party (PNP) and (consequently) to Prime Minister of Jamaica. Not to detract from her as a human being, as a Jamaican or from her abilities as a politician; but, for whatever reason, I have always viewed Mrs. Simpson Miller as a hard-working, grass-roots politician and a down-to-earth people-person as opposed to the administrative type (and all that it entails) that it takes tobe a Prime Minister. I made public that opinion and was severely criticised by some - but that's okay with me, after all, differing views and debate is what it's all about.

Interacted at the highest level

Mrs. Simpson Miller never appeared relaxed as she spoke and interacted at the highest levels. Her efforts to communicate in a staid manner seemed obvious to me. She appeared far more at home and relaxed when she was able to speak to the 'masses' using our Jamaican vernacular and when expressing her feelings unfettered and unrehearsed. This made her immensely popular in some circles but cost her dearly in others. Many of us would have liked to see a more demure, restrained and aware Prime Minister at events/meetings throughout the island.

Evidently, a large number of her supporters were sorely disappointed by her public display of chagrin at unimportant criticisms levelled at her, by her (apparent) inability to control her emotions and by her occasional angry rants. Madam Prime Minister seemed to direct her presentations towards one particular subset of our society (the political diehards and the political dependents) to the total exclusion of the middle class and the intellectuals (the very people whose dint and hard work support this country). She gained favour among those already committed to her party but lost the support of many others and failed to sway the undecided and those with variant ideals.

Although her time in office has been relatively brief, Mrs. Simpson Miller has not done anything to define herself as a Prime Minister. Her advisers/handlers should have encouraged her to call the general election soon after her appointment as Prime Minister. I believe that she would have been carried to victory on the massive wave of popular support that she enjoyed at that time. Failing that, they should have engineered something memorable in order to have her etch out a piece of history for herself and not to simply carry out the business of the party and Government as usual.

Real problems began to emerge with the unabated scandals. They continued to sully her administration and gave the public the distinct impression that nothing new was to be expected under her management. The Trafigura affair has done (and is doing) massive irreparable damage to the PNP. When I witnessed the public debate between Mrs. Portia Simpson Miller and Mr. Bruce Golding, I thought that it could have been big trouble for her stormy campaign but then, along came Hurricane Dean, the declaration of (and unnecessarily prolonged) state of emergency and the delay in assertively announcing a new date for the general election - and things got worse.

In spite of the rapid recovery and commendable relief efforts, the executive indecisiveness and political mistakes made in the aftermath of 'Dean' have impacted negatively on the Prime Minister and could, conceivably herald the final blow for her administration. We won't know what effect all this has had until after the votes are counted.

Dr. Garth A. Rattray is a medical doctor with a family practice, at email: garthrattray@gmail.com.