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The honeymoon is well and truly over
Thursday, January 10, 2008
The honeymoon period which, presumably, new governments enjoy, is well and truly over for the Bruce Golding-led administration, assuming that there was one at all.
It has been nothing short of a roller-coaster ride for the victorious Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) team almost from the get-go. The administration had hardly been sworn-in last September before it faced the monstrous surge in murders.
To that was quickly added spiralling oil prices which had a further sting in the tail, as it dragged up the cost of almost every other item in the various expenditure baskets.
And, we did not mention the fallout from the devastation of agriculture, as well as the widespread flooding caused by Hurricane Dean a month before the general elections.
In a real sense, the government has spent the first hundred and odd days outing fires, most or all of which it had nothing to do with starting.
Perhaps it could be argued that it started the Public Service Commission (PSC) fire, although even that is debatable, considering the choices facing the prime minister.
The very crude and ill-advised statements by MPs Everald Warmington (supported by Delroy Chuck) and Robert Montague, suggesting that state benefits would be withheld from people who did not vote JLP in the local government polls in December, would also have caused unnecessary trauma for the fledgling administration.
On Tuesday, the administration was forced to announce emergency measures aimed at putting a cap on retail prices for at least five basic food items - rice, counter flour, baking flour, cooking oil and milk powder - in response to increases in wheat and oil that have driven up food prices around the globe.
At the same time, it announced that it would be hastening legislation to govern alternative investment schemes which have put the government on the horns of a dilemma.
All this, of course, represents a test of the true mettle of the new government and, we would suggest, a clear opportunity for members of the Golding team to demonstrate what they are worth, as well as what they have learnt in 18 years of opposition.
The razor-thin margin of seats held by the ruling party over the opposition, could mean that it has to walk gingerly in matters of national controversy. The leader of government could be constrained in disciplining his MPs, and must also keep close tabs on the number of MPs out of the island and not in parliament at any one time.
On balance, we believe the team has dealt with the various issues with a fair deal of skill and without plunging the nation into any crisis. Much of this is clearly due to the experience of Mr Golding.
We cannot agree with those who have unfairly laid all the blame at the feet of the new government. One sometimes gets the impression that some are expecting the government to solve problems that remained intractable for 18 years of the PNP. That is bald politics.
Where we find a glaring weakness with the administration is in its ability to get its PR machinery galloping, in a period in which the government needs to be talking to the country about its plans and vision.
We hope that is not an indication of the level of importance given to communicating with the nation.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
The honeymoon period which, presumably, new governments enjoy, is well and truly over for the Bruce Golding-led administration, assuming that there was one at all.
It has been nothing short of a roller-coaster ride for the victorious Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) team almost from the get-go. The administration had hardly been sworn-in last September before it faced the monstrous surge in murders.
To that was quickly added spiralling oil prices which had a further sting in the tail, as it dragged up the cost of almost every other item in the various expenditure baskets.
And, we did not mention the fallout from the devastation of agriculture, as well as the widespread flooding caused by Hurricane Dean a month before the general elections.
In a real sense, the government has spent the first hundred and odd days outing fires, most or all of which it had nothing to do with starting.
Perhaps it could be argued that it started the Public Service Commission (PSC) fire, although even that is debatable, considering the choices facing the prime minister.
The very crude and ill-advised statements by MPs Everald Warmington (supported by Delroy Chuck) and Robert Montague, suggesting that state benefits would be withheld from people who did not vote JLP in the local government polls in December, would also have caused unnecessary trauma for the fledgling administration.
On Tuesday, the administration was forced to announce emergency measures aimed at putting a cap on retail prices for at least five basic food items - rice, counter flour, baking flour, cooking oil and milk powder - in response to increases in wheat and oil that have driven up food prices around the globe.
At the same time, it announced that it would be hastening legislation to govern alternative investment schemes which have put the government on the horns of a dilemma.
All this, of course, represents a test of the true mettle of the new government and, we would suggest, a clear opportunity for members of the Golding team to demonstrate what they are worth, as well as what they have learnt in 18 years of opposition.
The razor-thin margin of seats held by the ruling party over the opposition, could mean that it has to walk gingerly in matters of national controversy. The leader of government could be constrained in disciplining his MPs, and must also keep close tabs on the number of MPs out of the island and not in parliament at any one time.
On balance, we believe the team has dealt with the various issues with a fair deal of skill and without plunging the nation into any crisis. Much of this is clearly due to the experience of Mr Golding.
We cannot agree with those who have unfairly laid all the blame at the feet of the new government. One sometimes gets the impression that some are expecting the government to solve problems that remained intractable for 18 years of the PNP. That is bald politics.
Where we find a glaring weakness with the administration is in its ability to get its PR machinery galloping, in a period in which the government needs to be talking to the country about its plans and vision.
We hope that is not an indication of the level of importance given to communicating with the nation.
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