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Seating time for parties
published: Monday | May 21, 2007
Beverley Anderson-Manley
The election temperature is rising. For some time now, the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has announced its full slate of candidates. In the case of the People's National Party (PNP), there are still two critical seats outstanding. It is now almost certain that investment banker Peter Bunting will contest the Central Manchester constituency for the People's National Party.
Bunting is a strategic thinker and has always been passionate about politics. He is known, among other things, as the young man in his early 30s who defeated former Prime Minister Hugh Shearer in the constituency of SE Clarendon. Up until that time that seat was firmly in the JLP camp.
A STRATEGIC THINKER
A Michael Manley protg, he is no stranger to politics and has always had ambitions of being Prime Minister of Jamaica one day. His re-entry into representational politics comes at a time when he has just sold the business he co-founded to the Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) ... His contract with BNS comes to an end on June 30. Whenasked why he is re-entering politics at this stage, Bunting notes the need for the political process to reinvent itself. He admits, among other things, that his support for the candidacy of Dr. Omar Davies in the recent leadership race of the PNP made him focus his energies once again on the party politics of the country.
It appears that the juxtaposition of the current reality of politics in Jamaica and the vision of a world-class party and country - as espoused by Dr. Davies's campaign - seduced Bunting back into the fold of representational politics.
A SEAT TO WATCH
A former president of the National Investment Bank of Jamaica (NIBJ), there is no doubt that Bunting brings a number of skills to the table that can facilitate a politics of renewal in the country. Central Manchester is a fascinating seat to watch. The JLP candidate, Sally Porteous, is a councillor and deputy mayor of Mandeville. She is an excellent campaigner and an on-the-ground, hands-on candidate.
It will be interesting to see how this campaign evolves given the nature and talents of both candidates. In addition, the sitting Member of Parliament, John Junor, is likely to be the campaign manager for Bunting. Junor still has a great amount of purchase in the constituency and there is hardly likely to be any significant elements of disunity.
PORTIA ON THE RISE
Of interest also is the fact that Bunting is re-entering the fray at a time when the Gleaner/Johnson polls are showing that the ratings of Portia Simpson Miller have again begun to climb. As this article went to press, the polls published in The Gleaner of May 18 showed that in answer to the question, 'Do you have a favourable opinion of PM Portia Simpson Miller?' 58 per cent of the persons polled answered in the affirmative. When asked the same question about Bruce Golding, 32 per cent answered in the affirmative. This leaves a gap of 26 per cent between the two leaders, in terms of favourability. No matter what, 26 per cent is a significant gap.
When Simpson Miller became the first female president of the PNP in March last year, her favourability rating was 78 per cent. Her ratings then declined to more realistic levels - reaching 64 per cent in May last year, then down to 60 per cent in July, 54 per cent in October and 52 per cent in January. Many analysts then questioned whether her ratings had bottomed out. Now we see these ratings back on the rise.
In addition, Bill Johnson notes that "while Simpson Miler got her bounce-back from her Budget Speech and also the Cricket World Cup (CWC), Golding's Budget presentation seems to have resonated only with the intellectuals ... the Prime Minister's health-care benefits struck a chord with many people and came over very well. It is also worth noting that a lot of the respondents felt that the CWC was a good thing for the country."
It is said that a day in politics can be a very long time. The situation is so dynamic that only a fool would be willing to predict what the results of election 2007 will look like.
Beverley Anderson Manley is a political scientist and broadcaster. Email BManley@kasnet.com.
published: Monday | May 21, 2007
Beverley Anderson-Manley
The election temperature is rising. For some time now, the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has announced its full slate of candidates. In the case of the People's National Party (PNP), there are still two critical seats outstanding. It is now almost certain that investment banker Peter Bunting will contest the Central Manchester constituency for the People's National Party.
Bunting is a strategic thinker and has always been passionate about politics. He is known, among other things, as the young man in his early 30s who defeated former Prime Minister Hugh Shearer in the constituency of SE Clarendon. Up until that time that seat was firmly in the JLP camp.
A STRATEGIC THINKER
A Michael Manley protg, he is no stranger to politics and has always had ambitions of being Prime Minister of Jamaica one day. His re-entry into representational politics comes at a time when he has just sold the business he co-founded to the Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) ... His contract with BNS comes to an end on June 30. Whenasked why he is re-entering politics at this stage, Bunting notes the need for the political process to reinvent itself. He admits, among other things, that his support for the candidacy of Dr. Omar Davies in the recent leadership race of the PNP made him focus his energies once again on the party politics of the country.
It appears that the juxtaposition of the current reality of politics in Jamaica and the vision of a world-class party and country - as espoused by Dr. Davies's campaign - seduced Bunting back into the fold of representational politics.
A SEAT TO WATCH
A former president of the National Investment Bank of Jamaica (NIBJ), there is no doubt that Bunting brings a number of skills to the table that can facilitate a politics of renewal in the country. Central Manchester is a fascinating seat to watch. The JLP candidate, Sally Porteous, is a councillor and deputy mayor of Mandeville. She is an excellent campaigner and an on-the-ground, hands-on candidate.
It will be interesting to see how this campaign evolves given the nature and talents of both candidates. In addition, the sitting Member of Parliament, John Junor, is likely to be the campaign manager for Bunting. Junor still has a great amount of purchase in the constituency and there is hardly likely to be any significant elements of disunity.
PORTIA ON THE RISE
Of interest also is the fact that Bunting is re-entering the fray at a time when the Gleaner/Johnson polls are showing that the ratings of Portia Simpson Miller have again begun to climb. As this article went to press, the polls published in The Gleaner of May 18 showed that in answer to the question, 'Do you have a favourable opinion of PM Portia Simpson Miller?' 58 per cent of the persons polled answered in the affirmative. When asked the same question about Bruce Golding, 32 per cent answered in the affirmative. This leaves a gap of 26 per cent between the two leaders, in terms of favourability. No matter what, 26 per cent is a significant gap.
When Simpson Miller became the first female president of the PNP in March last year, her favourability rating was 78 per cent. Her ratings then declined to more realistic levels - reaching 64 per cent in May last year, then down to 60 per cent in July, 54 per cent in October and 52 per cent in January. Many analysts then questioned whether her ratings had bottomed out. Now we see these ratings back on the rise.
In addition, Bill Johnson notes that "while Simpson Miler got her bounce-back from her Budget Speech and also the Cricket World Cup (CWC), Golding's Budget presentation seems to have resonated only with the intellectuals ... the Prime Minister's health-care benefits struck a chord with many people and came over very well. It is also worth noting that a lot of the respondents felt that the CWC was a good thing for the country."
It is said that a day in politics can be a very long time. The situation is so dynamic that only a fool would be willing to predict what the results of election 2007 will look like.
Beverley Anderson Manley is a political scientist and broadcaster. Email BManley@kasnet.com.