The Jamaican elections have come and gone and the then incumbent Jamaica Labour Party, (JLP), is left cauterizing its wounds as it received quite a thrashing at the polls. Now battle worn and shell-shocked and according to leader, the Honourable Andrew Holness, humbled. The party has vowed to rebuild.
Economic fortitude during turbulent times was not enough to draw out voters as only a little over 52 percent cast ballots. 48 percent of the electorate decided to stay home and register their disgust and those who did, opted for a ride in the People’s National Party,( PNP), JEEP (Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme) to flee the ‘bitter medicine’ that was being bandied about by the JLP.
Many opinions were given as to why the JLP lost and at such a huge margin. Most have said arrogance but I believe the reason is two-fold. Arrogance yes and the other was fear.
But fear of what? The electorate feared the prospects of that proverbial ‘bitter medicine’. Times were already hard for many families who were fast approaching their breaking point. Believe it or not, promises are indeed a comfort to a fool and the truth hurts very deeply. Perhaps the JLP’s so-called honesty was its own folly and further undoing.
It was either the JEEP or the bitter medicine. Had I voted, I would have chosen the JEEP and not only because of the gains it promised, but because it promised an escape - a respite from my persistent worries; albeit a relatively short ride out of my abyss. The thought of bitter medicine is revolting as it is unpleasant. Eucalyptus oil is worse.
Fear of the unknown is a driving force behind many decisions and in hard times, fear can impair decision making. The JLP failed to place all cards on deck, which further compounded the people’s fear. Speculation grew. People became more concerned about their plight. The employed and the unemployed alike were equally worried. The employed worried that the ‘bitter medicine’ meant losing their jobs. The unemployed were impatient and would not have cared about taking some ‘bitter medicine’ as long as a job would be in the offing. But the JLP failed to articulate this position and so the saga thickens.
Was the JLP attuned to the people as it should have been? I think not, considering certain controversial statements that were made from the political platform. Did the motherly figure of our now Prime Minister, the Most Honourable Portia Simpson Miller, trump the ‘youthfulness’ of an Andrew Holness? Perhaps, as the people were seeking solace and an assurance that they would be okay in the way only a mother could deliver. Our young Prime Minister at the time, promising bitter medicine in the context of a general election, demonstrated sibling rivalry when juxtaposed with the maternal figure of a Portia Simpson Miller - the bigger brother beating up on his younger sibling, so the latter runs to mommy for safety.
Were the elections decided between the JEEP and the ‘bitter medicine’? Yes it was. The electorate weighed the pros and cons – escape from poverty and fear or face an uncertainty future. The JEEP represented an escape while the ‘bitter medicine’ represented uncertainty and fear.
The JLP’s loss at the December 29 polls was a clear case of one ‘taking a sip of his own (bitter) medicine’. Hopefully the party will use this as an opportunity to rebuild but most importantly, it must aim to tap into the psyche of the people and make sure that its messages and ideologies are measured.
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