THE PEOPLE'S National Party has launched its bid for a fourth term in office against the background of what the party has described as "solid achievement" since 1989.
Prime Minister and Party Leader P.J. Patterson told a gathering of the comrades Sunday that the party was in a pre-election mode and that the official campaigning had begun. Under the constitution the Prime Minister has up to March 2003 to call the elections.
There is good reason to caution against the launch of an election campaign with no announced date for the elections. As we recall, the last time this happened was in 1980 when the Michael Manley administration had an election campaign that was announced in February and continued for nine months with disastrous consequences for the country.
More than 800 Jamaicans lost their lives in the political violence that ensued and governance took a backseat to electioneering. We believe that nobody would wish to subject the country to a repeat of that experience. The PNP has listed a number of achievements of its twelve years in office, among them a reduction of the rate of inflation, an increase in the housing stock, the boosting of the Net International Reserves, improvement in the public transportation system and the upgrading of the country's infrastructure.
Not much was said at the launch about what concrete plans and projects the party has in store for the country if it achieves the precedent-setting fourth term. What we heard from the Prime Minister is that the PNP was seeking to lead the charge in the formation of a national alliance of all groups dedicated to increasing social capital, creating jobs, sustaining growth and ensuring justice for all. Not much of substance, but the type of vague generalisations that are the content of the Throne Speech delivered at the start of a new parliamentary session.
In fairness, the leadership of the party has said it intends to have presentations similar to last Sunday's at the Hilton throughout the country. Perhaps more details will be provided when the show gets on the road.
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