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What future for the PNP under Peter Bunting?
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
It is almost political culture in Jamaica for media houses, and especially newspapers, to be accused of partisan bias when political parties are in the throes of election campaigns.
The Gleaner - "Next time! Next time!" - had its day in the 1970s at a time when Jamaica was experiencing a bitter ideological struggle pitting the Democratic Socialist People's National Party (PNP) against the Conservative Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).
In the 2002 general elections, a JLP crowd marched on the Observer, protesting against the paper and a columnist whom they believe was campaigning against their leader and their party.
In the 2007 elections, the PNP turned on the Observer and claimed that the newspaper was biased against the party and its leader. Some supporters even ascribed to the Observer the power to have influenced their loss at the polls.
Over the years, the media have come to regard these accusations as par for the course. Elections often bring out the worst in our politicians, some of them showing a willingness to sacrifice everyone and everything on the altar of expedience.
But, usually, once the elections are over, they regain sanity and seek to restore broken relationships, including with the media. Except now there is Mr Peter Bunting.
Elected Sunday as the PNP general-secretary, Mr Bunting was on radio Monday morning declaring that everyone knows the bias of the Observer against the PNP. This was his reaction to a news story quoting the Brian Meeks Committee which found that many PNP supporters blamed their leader for the party's loss at the last general elections.
There was a time when we had high hopes for Mr Bunting, believing that he could bring the freshness of new thinking to the political arena. That was not to be.
First, he proved that he did not have the stamina to stay the course and soon dropped out. Then he returned in the 2007 campaign and took over the Central Manchester constituency.
For a time our hopes were again kindled, until he declared how much he could lock down Mandeville, when he was faced with competition from a woman contestant in Ms Sally Porteous.
But we should have known better. Because he failed his first test as Opposition spokesman on industry by lashing the Government's decision to take control of the scrap metal trade, not caring that illegal exporters were endangering the country by removing for sale, vital metal parts of bridges, transmitter cables, phone and light facilities.
Readers will understand that after his comment on radio Monday we have again lost hope in him. We had expected a new beginning. The PNP has much work to do to ready itself again to be government, if and when the electorate calls.
It is a time for mending fences, building back bridges, healing wounds and laying the foundation for victory. And who more than the general-secretary of a party is responsible to lead this process?
Instead, Mr Bunting remains as rabid as ever. Forgetting that the elections are over, he still courts the ghosts of 2007. Dr D K Duncan might still rue the day he withdrew from contesting the post of general-secretary.
We shudder to think what future the PNP now has under Peter Bunting.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
It is almost political culture in Jamaica for media houses, and especially newspapers, to be accused of partisan bias when political parties are in the throes of election campaigns.
The Gleaner - "Next time! Next time!" - had its day in the 1970s at a time when Jamaica was experiencing a bitter ideological struggle pitting the Democratic Socialist People's National Party (PNP) against the Conservative Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).
In the 2002 general elections, a JLP crowd marched on the Observer, protesting against the paper and a columnist whom they believe was campaigning against their leader and their party.
In the 2007 elections, the PNP turned on the Observer and claimed that the newspaper was biased against the party and its leader. Some supporters even ascribed to the Observer the power to have influenced their loss at the polls.
Over the years, the media have come to regard these accusations as par for the course. Elections often bring out the worst in our politicians, some of them showing a willingness to sacrifice everyone and everything on the altar of expedience.
But, usually, once the elections are over, they regain sanity and seek to restore broken relationships, including with the media. Except now there is Mr Peter Bunting.
Elected Sunday as the PNP general-secretary, Mr Bunting was on radio Monday morning declaring that everyone knows the bias of the Observer against the PNP. This was his reaction to a news story quoting the Brian Meeks Committee which found that many PNP supporters blamed their leader for the party's loss at the last general elections.
There was a time when we had high hopes for Mr Bunting, believing that he could bring the freshness of new thinking to the political arena. That was not to be.
First, he proved that he did not have the stamina to stay the course and soon dropped out. Then he returned in the 2007 campaign and took over the Central Manchester constituency.
For a time our hopes were again kindled, until he declared how much he could lock down Mandeville, when he was faced with competition from a woman contestant in Ms Sally Porteous.
But we should have known better. Because he failed his first test as Opposition spokesman on industry by lashing the Government's decision to take control of the scrap metal trade, not caring that illegal exporters were endangering the country by removing for sale, vital metal parts of bridges, transmitter cables, phone and light facilities.
Readers will understand that after his comment on radio Monday we have again lost hope in him. We had expected a new beginning. The PNP has much work to do to ready itself again to be government, if and when the electorate calls.
It is a time for mending fences, building back bridges, healing wounds and laying the foundation for victory. And who more than the general-secretary of a party is responsible to lead this process?
Instead, Mr Bunting remains as rabid as ever. Forgetting that the elections are over, he still courts the ghosts of 2007. Dr D K Duncan might still rue the day he withdrew from contesting the post of general-secretary.
We shudder to think what future the PNP now has under Peter Bunting.
said Nanny P asked DK to move aside. Ah well.
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