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The Jamaican voters don't have a clue!
Voters rate PNP accomplishments
published: Friday | November 10, 2006 <DIV class=KonaBody>
Improvement to the country's road network as well as the opening of government's flagship project, Highway 2000, has been placed at the top of the list of eligible voters who have been asked to name some of the accomplishments of the PNP Government since 2002.
This formed part of the findings of a Gleaner-commissioned Bill Johnson poll conducted on October 28 and 29 this year. Of the 1,008 registered voters interviewed only 55 per cent could name an achievement of the PNP.
Johnson pointed out that among the respondents who highlighted an area of success, 46 per cent would vote for the PNP while 20 per cent supported the JLP.
However, among those interviewed who did not mention an accomplishment, 48 per cent would vote for the JLP and 18 per cent for the PNP.
"The PNP has to remind people about what they have accomplished. As you can see those who did not name an accomplishment are more likely to vote for the JLP," Johnson explained.
The multi-lane Highway 2000, with two phases already completed, is said to be the single largest investment project in the country's history. It is against this background that little more than half of the persons polled said Highway 2000 was the Government's main achievement.
NHT benefit
An increase in the ceiling for loans of up to $3 million per beneficiary by the National Housing Trust and a reduction in interest rates for mortgagers, as well as the establishment of new housing projects over the last few years, may have influenced the decision of registered voters who said the provision of houses ranked among the Government's list of accomplishments. Twelve per cent of respondents mentioned housing.
Education, job creation, reduction in crime, the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH), water improvements and more telephones are other government achievements mentioned.
The single-digit percentages, however, could either reflect a poor job performed by the Government in some critical areas of governance or the absence of an effective public education exercise to apprise Jamaicans of the administration's work. For example, two per cent of the sample group felt that the PNP over the last four years had made a significant impact on crime.
For years, the country has been hit by a wave of crime, pushing murder figures to record levels of more than 1,600 in 2005.
Statistics released by the Constabulary Communication Network yesterday showed a five per cent reduction in murders in October when compared with the similar period last year.
However, for the first 10 months of the year, 1,080 Jamaicans have been killed violently, about 300 fewer than the number murdered in 2005.
Which of the two major political parties do you think would do the best job of governing Jamaica at this time, the PNP or JLP?
<TABLE><TBODY><TR><TD></TD><TD>Mar.</TD><TD>May</TD><TD>Oct.</TD></TR><TR><TD>PNP</TD><TD>50%</TD><TD>46%</TD><TD>38%</TD></TR><TR><TD>JLP</TD><TD>29</TD><TD>24</TD><TD>33</TD></TR><TR><TD>Undecided</TD><TD>20</TD><TD>28</TD><TD>29</TD></TR><TR><TD>Refused</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>1</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></DIV>
Voters rate PNP accomplishments
published: Friday | November 10, 2006 <DIV class=KonaBody>
Improvement to the country's road network as well as the opening of government's flagship project, Highway 2000, has been placed at the top of the list of eligible voters who have been asked to name some of the accomplishments of the PNP Government since 2002.
This formed part of the findings of a Gleaner-commissioned Bill Johnson poll conducted on October 28 and 29 this year. Of the 1,008 registered voters interviewed only 55 per cent could name an achievement of the PNP.
Johnson pointed out that among the respondents who highlighted an area of success, 46 per cent would vote for the PNP while 20 per cent supported the JLP.
However, among those interviewed who did not mention an accomplishment, 48 per cent would vote for the JLP and 18 per cent for the PNP.
"The PNP has to remind people about what they have accomplished. As you can see those who did not name an accomplishment are more likely to vote for the JLP," Johnson explained.
The multi-lane Highway 2000, with two phases already completed, is said to be the single largest investment project in the country's history. It is against this background that little more than half of the persons polled said Highway 2000 was the Government's main achievement.
NHT benefit
An increase in the ceiling for loans of up to $3 million per beneficiary by the National Housing Trust and a reduction in interest rates for mortgagers, as well as the establishment of new housing projects over the last few years, may have influenced the decision of registered voters who said the provision of houses ranked among the Government's list of accomplishments. Twelve per cent of respondents mentioned housing.
Education, job creation, reduction in crime, the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH), water improvements and more telephones are other government achievements mentioned.
The single-digit percentages, however, could either reflect a poor job performed by the Government in some critical areas of governance or the absence of an effective public education exercise to apprise Jamaicans of the administration's work. For example, two per cent of the sample group felt that the PNP over the last four years had made a significant impact on crime.
For years, the country has been hit by a wave of crime, pushing murder figures to record levels of more than 1,600 in 2005.
Statistics released by the Constabulary Communication Network yesterday showed a five per cent reduction in murders in October when compared with the similar period last year.
However, for the first 10 months of the year, 1,080 Jamaicans have been killed violently, about 300 fewer than the number murdered in 2005.
Which of the two major political parties do you think would do the best job of governing Jamaica at this time, the PNP or JLP?
<TABLE><TBODY><TR><TD></TD><TD>Mar.</TD><TD>May</TD><TD>Oct.</TD></TR><TR><TD>PNP</TD><TD>50%</TD><TD>46%</TD><TD>38%</TD></TR><TR><TD>JLP</TD><TD>29</TD><TD>24</TD><TD>33</TD></TR><TR><TD>Undecided</TD><TD>20</TD><TD>28</TD><TD>29</TD></TR><TR><TD>Refused</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>1</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></DIV>
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