Elections of yesterday

I do not remember anything which occurred on Election Day in 1944. What I do know now is that it was the first time that every Jamaican over the age of 21 was entitled to vote for his or her political representatives. My mother could, therefore, vote. She had refused to do so in earlier elections because she was qualified as a taxpayer, as a woman she would have had to take a literacy test.

That, to her, was a piece of impertinence!

I remember, of course, the period before the election. I was then cloistered in a boarding school, Jamaica College. Every morning, we boarders quizzed the day boys to tell us what they knew was taking place at their homes and at the homes of their families' friends.

We questioned Richard Ashenheim. As the son of a member of the Jamaica Democratic Party, he told us that it would win all the seats they contested. We questioned, Henry Miller, Ronald Berry and Ronald Irvine. They seemed disinterested.

It was the boarders, however, who were most vociferous about the elections. We were more conscious of the Jamaica College/Norman Manley/Noel Nethersole ties of the past, and Manley and Nethersole were two of the contestants in the elections. In addition, young Vunnie Isaacs in my dormitory argued every night about the great plans the PNP had for Jamaica. He spoke with authority as he was the son of Wills O. Isaacs, a senior man in the PNP. We cried shame on Desmond Segree, whose father Maurice was contesting a Westmoreland seat as an independent and not for the PNP. The PNP lost, to our dismay.

New agenda

When we returned to school after the holidays, there was no talk about politics. Future PNP activists such as Seymour Mullings and Upton Robotham were as silent mice. Instead, we concentrated on track and field, swimming, boxing, rifle shooting, cricket and football.

The next elections were in 1949. I was a working young man, and my friends and I went from political meeting to political meeting every night. I was not yet 21. I could not vote. Once again, the PNP lost.

Then came 1955. A slogan, 'Sweep Them Out' was created by the PNP, and the humble straw broom used by housewives to sweep their houses and yards was elevated to what seemed like a national symbol. This time the PNP won.

For the next 35 years each party spent two terms in office. The PNP won again in 1959, then the JLP won in 1962 and 1967. The PNP won in 1972 and 1976 and the JLP won in 1980. In 1983, the PNP refused to contest the elections and for the next six years the country was run by a one-party Government.

Since then, the PNP has broken the two-term cycle, winning four straight elections.

Proud father

The elections which are my most personal joy was in 1976. My two eldest children were then 18 years-of age and could vote for the first time. My daughter woke me before dawn. She had already woken her elder brother. She wanted to be first in the line at the polling station.

She had already prepared breakfast - scrambled eggs and bacon, toast and coffee.

I was a proud father, third in line that day. Our candidate did not win but we were a proud trio of voters. This time next Monday, they will be voting in different polling stations than me. And I will be making my own breakfast - a hard-boiled egg, two slices of toast, coffee and a glass of fresh orange juice. And by the way, I will not be voting for Portia or Bruce. They are not the contestants in my constituency.

Sorry my Sister P. Sorry Bruce.