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Careful, PNP, you may get what you wish for
Mark Wignall
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Weeks ago the "news" came out that Prime Minister Bruce Golding had read his MPs the riot act. As I heard it, he told them that he would not allow the slim majority he held in Parliament to hobble him, especially in terms of applying any disciplinary measures which may arise from time to time.
The prime minister is fully aware that Jamaicans need strong leadership at this time. He is also aware that after 18 years of PNP entrenchment, every board and important body which constitutes "government", rather than stepping away and giving him leave to make appointments under his watch, have decided to dig in almost as if they have something to protect, or more importantly, conceal.
Even as I write, it has come to me that one of the most senior members of the last PNP Cabinet had as his/her constituency office a property in "The Golden Triangle" owned by the chairperson of another important body. The property is estimated at between $40 million and $50 million. Estimates of the rental which the property would fetch begins at $250,000 per month. Before a single question is asked, it must be taken as a given that no single PNP MP, or for that matter, any MP/caretaker in any party could afford to pay that sum of money as monthly rental.
The question is, if the PNP MP could not afford to pay that rental, and it is also taken as a given that there would have to be a considerable discount (maybe up to 100 per cent), how much was being paid, and much more importantly, what would be the most telling factors driving the arrangement?
On Tuesday and Wednesday, I attempted to make a telephone link with both parties. I left messages, told them what my probe was about. I am still giving them another day or so to respond.
Back to the prime minister. If we follow the raw political trend, the times favour the JLP. In the local government elections, with poor leadership, the PNP could not even muster small change to run its campaign. The PNP leader is only leading from her small corner and those in her corner are few.
If "old juveniles" like, say, Warmington should play the damn fool again, the prime minister should use an iron fist, fire first and ask no questions. Golding knows that in doing that his stocks among the electorate would automatically rise. With the PNP pursuing court cases, we may see a time when the prime minister may decide that fresh elections are in order.
If in next year certain happenings force themselves on us and elections are announced and held, from where I stand I see the JLP picking up at least four extra seats in addition to those it now holds. It is a most foolish leader in Portia Simpson Miller who can only see the beginning and not discern the conclusion.
There seems to be additional fallout in the PNP since the last elections. With the idiotic "failing grade" given by failures in the last PNP administration, I must confess amusement. The question is, where is Dr Peter Phillips, the immediate hope for the PNP?
As I understand it, Dr Omar Davies seems to have conveniently sided with Simpson Miller in an effort to block Dr Phillips' ascendancy to the PNP presidency. Dr Davies has apparently convinced himself that fate has placed him in the position to bring Peter Bunting to the forefront, not now, but...
It is obvious that most of the senior people in the PNP recognise that the "Portia" experiment has failed miserably. With Simpson Miller recently telling a group of PNP councillors that she has no intention of leaving, it has not yet dawned on her that the times have abandoned her.
The fact is, Portia Simpson Miller is a professional politician who cannot exist, and in her adulthood, has never existed outside of politics. Where politics provide the visible bread and butter of one's existence, the question as to the reason for wanting to "serve" seems to be immediately answered.
Is Lisa Hanna ready for PNP gen sec post?
There is talk in PNP circles that Lisa Hanna is being pushed by certain people for the post of general secretary as replacement for what had to be the best joke of the PNP, Danny Buchanan. Although I believe that Lisa Hanna, MP for South East St Ann, still has a far way to go in clawing her way up the food chain in the PNP, at this stage, anyone would be an ideal replacement for Mr Buchanan.
The other names being bandied about are Horace Dalley and DK Duncan. My choice would be Lisa Hanna because she represents the future while the other two are, well, not where I would like to see the PNP go.
DK Duncan has tons of experience, but I would support his bid only if a condition of it is a three-year run. The political chess players in the PNP will be basing their moves on either the JLP remaining in office for one or two terms. And of course, the JLP's run will be dependent on the new, needed reorganisation of the PNP.
The seeming silence from Dr Phillips is indicative of his own bit of chess playing. For now Simpson Miller has all of the qualities of a stop-and-start leader, and the PNP deserves better.
Let me say it again. The JLP has power to do a lot of good for this country, but it also has the potential to replicate much of the rot of the last PNP administration. For this reason, we need a strong and effective PNP Opposition, not the spoilt-brat type that we have witnessed in the last few months.
In the interim, I would caution the PNP, or the "sensible" faction within it, to steer carefully politically. What may appear to be little pockets of victory now will eventually determine and define a more severe beating some time in the next year.
observemark@gmail.com
Mark Wignall
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Weeks ago the "news" came out that Prime Minister Bruce Golding had read his MPs the riot act. As I heard it, he told them that he would not allow the slim majority he held in Parliament to hobble him, especially in terms of applying any disciplinary measures which may arise from time to time.
The prime minister is fully aware that Jamaicans need strong leadership at this time. He is also aware that after 18 years of PNP entrenchment, every board and important body which constitutes "government", rather than stepping away and giving him leave to make appointments under his watch, have decided to dig in almost as if they have something to protect, or more importantly, conceal.
Even as I write, it has come to me that one of the most senior members of the last PNP Cabinet had as his/her constituency office a property in "The Golden Triangle" owned by the chairperson of another important body. The property is estimated at between $40 million and $50 million. Estimates of the rental which the property would fetch begins at $250,000 per month. Before a single question is asked, it must be taken as a given that no single PNP MP, or for that matter, any MP/caretaker in any party could afford to pay that sum of money as monthly rental.
The question is, if the PNP MP could not afford to pay that rental, and it is also taken as a given that there would have to be a considerable discount (maybe up to 100 per cent), how much was being paid, and much more importantly, what would be the most telling factors driving the arrangement?
On Tuesday and Wednesday, I attempted to make a telephone link with both parties. I left messages, told them what my probe was about. I am still giving them another day or so to respond.
Back to the prime minister. If we follow the raw political trend, the times favour the JLP. In the local government elections, with poor leadership, the PNP could not even muster small change to run its campaign. The PNP leader is only leading from her small corner and those in her corner are few.
If "old juveniles" like, say, Warmington should play the damn fool again, the prime minister should use an iron fist, fire first and ask no questions. Golding knows that in doing that his stocks among the electorate would automatically rise. With the PNP pursuing court cases, we may see a time when the prime minister may decide that fresh elections are in order.
If in next year certain happenings force themselves on us and elections are announced and held, from where I stand I see the JLP picking up at least four extra seats in addition to those it now holds. It is a most foolish leader in Portia Simpson Miller who can only see the beginning and not discern the conclusion.
There seems to be additional fallout in the PNP since the last elections. With the idiotic "failing grade" given by failures in the last PNP administration, I must confess amusement. The question is, where is Dr Peter Phillips, the immediate hope for the PNP?
As I understand it, Dr Omar Davies seems to have conveniently sided with Simpson Miller in an effort to block Dr Phillips' ascendancy to the PNP presidency. Dr Davies has apparently convinced himself that fate has placed him in the position to bring Peter Bunting to the forefront, not now, but...
It is obvious that most of the senior people in the PNP recognise that the "Portia" experiment has failed miserably. With Simpson Miller recently telling a group of PNP councillors that she has no intention of leaving, it has not yet dawned on her that the times have abandoned her.
The fact is, Portia Simpson Miller is a professional politician who cannot exist, and in her adulthood, has never existed outside of politics. Where politics provide the visible bread and butter of one's existence, the question as to the reason for wanting to "serve" seems to be immediately answered.
Is Lisa Hanna ready for PNP gen sec post?
There is talk in PNP circles that Lisa Hanna is being pushed by certain people for the post of general secretary as replacement for what had to be the best joke of the PNP, Danny Buchanan. Although I believe that Lisa Hanna, MP for South East St Ann, still has a far way to go in clawing her way up the food chain in the PNP, at this stage, anyone would be an ideal replacement for Mr Buchanan.
The other names being bandied about are Horace Dalley and DK Duncan. My choice would be Lisa Hanna because she represents the future while the other two are, well, not where I would like to see the PNP go.
DK Duncan has tons of experience, but I would support his bid only if a condition of it is a three-year run. The political chess players in the PNP will be basing their moves on either the JLP remaining in office for one or two terms. And of course, the JLP's run will be dependent on the new, needed reorganisation of the PNP.
The seeming silence from Dr Phillips is indicative of his own bit of chess playing. For now Simpson Miller has all of the qualities of a stop-and-start leader, and the PNP deserves better.
Let me say it again. The JLP has power to do a lot of good for this country, but it also has the potential to replicate much of the rot of the last PNP administration. For this reason, we need a strong and effective PNP Opposition, not the spoilt-brat type that we have witnessed in the last few months.
In the interim, I would caution the PNP, or the "sensible" faction within it, to steer carefully politically. What may appear to be little pockets of victory now will eventually determine and define a more severe beating some time in the next year.
observemark@gmail.com