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Transforming the political culture
By Franklin Johnston
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Next to plantation slavery, politics is the most corrosive influence in Jamaican society. It is also the force behind the negative culture polarising the society. The recent elections and the shambolic transfer of power is just the latest symptom.
GOLDING... has a narrow window of opportunity to lay out a road map for political transformation
Politics as practised in Jamaica is utterly selfish, even valued above friends, family or a job. Politics is something to die for. and too many have already died. Prime Minister Golding has a narrow window of opportunity to lay out a road map for political transformation, as the period of politicans' susceptibility to good advice is about nine months after an election. The Return On Investment (ROI) of a small stake in politics is very high.
A university degree, five years' experience in some field and relevant skills are required to get a real job. To become a politician you need only to convince other politicians in your group that you are electible. The risk : reward ratio in politics is responsible for many of the nation's problems. The rewards are too high. We should not raise the bar to enter politics, but we should reduce the rewards.
Pay and perquisites
More than 80 per cent of a politician's lifetime income is earned from government salaries, perquisites and politically cultivated opportunities. By whatever means, Jamaica must eliminate "politician" as a full-time, salaried government job of indeterminate duration. Implementing regressive pay formulae, which reduce salary over time, could do the trick. Politics would then attract candidates who are service-driven, competent, sacrificing and disincentivise candidates who wish to make politics, on the public payroll, their life's work.
There are many Jamaicans with talent and the state should not invest more than 10 years' salary in any individual politician. We are currently investing 15 to 35 years' salary in politicians who add no value to the nation. The car, house and requisites to do the job should be standard for each job category (MP, minister) and the formulae for a politician's salary should relate to prior earnings in his last job, as verified by income tax returns (so Mr Wehby's salary would not be a problem).
To be fair, a base rate would be set for those politicians who were unemployed or whose last salary was below the base. Those who wish to nation-build at taxpayers' expense would have 10 full-salaried years to make their mark and then return to their substantive jobs as dressmaker or banker or serve voluntarily. We can be confident that only those who genuinely wish to serve would be in representational politics after that last payday.
The virtual trade union
Jamaican politicians are members of an elite, virtual trade union. This union has no rule book, holds no meetings and has no officers, but it is an effective bargaining unit. Opposing members shadow box and throw punches: a right cross, a left hook, weave and feint but, after the razmatazz, they take care of each other.
Long ago, in a far country, a politician was tried in court and sent to prison. He was guilty of the wrong he had done, but he was really imprisoned because he "dissed" his leader, who then made it clear to his opposite number - the boss pro-tem of the virtual union, that he did not favour a non-custodial sentence as said politician had distanced himself from this leader's protection and did not merit the support of the union.
Power
Power makes foolish, ugly, ill-mannered politicians, wise, handsome and cultured. At least, their "yes men" tell them so, and thus the selfish, egomaniac thrives. We must reduce the power of the politician, MP or minister without reducing his effectiveness. We must insulate key posts, committees and structures from his influence; encourage whistleblowers; make processes transparent, expert and evidence-driven and subject politicians to regular, independent evaluation - this is not rocket science.
To curb abuse of power, eliminate political violence and reduce corruption, we must limit the politician to 10 years as a full-time, government-paid nation-builder, whether member of parliament or councillor. There is no reality check more sobering for the politician than the certainty that he will return to his normal life after a few years.
This is the finest guarantee of good practice, an incentive to performance, good governance and a creditable legacy. Selfishness, arrogance and vindictiveness will be moderated; he will talk with, not at people, and his handlers will realise that the reward is not worth the risk.
This single measure might shift Jamaican politics to a more caring paradigm in short order. Saving the Jamaican way of life is more important than the 30-year honours politicians would lose. This would be a good dividend for the nation, for a change.
Dr Franklin Johnston is international partner of Teape-Johnston Associates.
franklinjohnston@hotmail.com
By Franklin Johnston
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Next to plantation slavery, politics is the most corrosive influence in Jamaican society. It is also the force behind the negative culture polarising the society. The recent elections and the shambolic transfer of power is just the latest symptom.
GOLDING... has a narrow window of opportunity to lay out a road map for political transformation Politics as practised in Jamaica is utterly selfish, even valued above friends, family or a job. Politics is something to die for. and too many have already died. Prime Minister Golding has a narrow window of opportunity to lay out a road map for political transformation, as the period of politicans' susceptibility to good advice is about nine months after an election. The Return On Investment (ROI) of a small stake in politics is very high.
A university degree, five years' experience in some field and relevant skills are required to get a real job. To become a politician you need only to convince other politicians in your group that you are electible. The risk : reward ratio in politics is responsible for many of the nation's problems. The rewards are too high. We should not raise the bar to enter politics, but we should reduce the rewards.
Pay and perquisites
More than 80 per cent of a politician's lifetime income is earned from government salaries, perquisites and politically cultivated opportunities. By whatever means, Jamaica must eliminate "politician" as a full-time, salaried government job of indeterminate duration. Implementing regressive pay formulae, which reduce salary over time, could do the trick. Politics would then attract candidates who are service-driven, competent, sacrificing and disincentivise candidates who wish to make politics, on the public payroll, their life's work.
There are many Jamaicans with talent and the state should not invest more than 10 years' salary in any individual politician. We are currently investing 15 to 35 years' salary in politicians who add no value to the nation. The car, house and requisites to do the job should be standard for each job category (MP, minister) and the formulae for a politician's salary should relate to prior earnings in his last job, as verified by income tax returns (so Mr Wehby's salary would not be a problem).
To be fair, a base rate would be set for those politicians who were unemployed or whose last salary was below the base. Those who wish to nation-build at taxpayers' expense would have 10 full-salaried years to make their mark and then return to their substantive jobs as dressmaker or banker or serve voluntarily. We can be confident that only those who genuinely wish to serve would be in representational politics after that last payday.
The virtual trade union
Jamaican politicians are members of an elite, virtual trade union. This union has no rule book, holds no meetings and has no officers, but it is an effective bargaining unit. Opposing members shadow box and throw punches: a right cross, a left hook, weave and feint but, after the razmatazz, they take care of each other.
Long ago, in a far country, a politician was tried in court and sent to prison. He was guilty of the wrong he had done, but he was really imprisoned because he "dissed" his leader, who then made it clear to his opposite number - the boss pro-tem of the virtual union, that he did not favour a non-custodial sentence as said politician had distanced himself from this leader's protection and did not merit the support of the union.
Power
Power makes foolish, ugly, ill-mannered politicians, wise, handsome and cultured. At least, their "yes men" tell them so, and thus the selfish, egomaniac thrives. We must reduce the power of the politician, MP or minister without reducing his effectiveness. We must insulate key posts, committees and structures from his influence; encourage whistleblowers; make processes transparent, expert and evidence-driven and subject politicians to regular, independent evaluation - this is not rocket science.
To curb abuse of power, eliminate political violence and reduce corruption, we must limit the politician to 10 years as a full-time, government-paid nation-builder, whether member of parliament or councillor. There is no reality check more sobering for the politician than the certainty that he will return to his normal life after a few years.
This is the finest guarantee of good practice, an incentive to performance, good governance and a creditable legacy. Selfishness, arrogance and vindictiveness will be moderated; he will talk with, not at people, and his handlers will realise that the reward is not worth the risk.
This single measure might shift Jamaican politics to a more caring paradigm in short order. Saving the Jamaican way of life is more important than the 30-year honours politicians would lose. This would be a good dividend for the nation, for a change.
Dr Franklin Johnston is international partner of Teape-Johnston Associates.
franklinjohnston@hotmail.com
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