Heather Robinson
DANVILLE WALKER, the director of elections has raised some concerns which Tuesday's Gleaner editorial termed "the potential effect of private money on Jamaican politics, including the prospect of people buying their way to power - either directly or by proxy". Many Jamaicans who heard the Director of Elections speak, last weekend, might very well be wondering what is all this noise about, and some will also be saying that elections are a very expensive activity. Every one should know this.
Persons who offer themselves for political office have many processes to go through before finally taking a seat inside Gordon House. In the 'good old days' of representational politics, persons who worked with a candidate were called 'volunteers'. These were usually employed persons who did their political work in the evenings after their paid job was finished. These individuals put gas in their vehicles themselves, fed themselves, as well as those who could not afford to do so. These party volunteers received their reward in having their candidate elected to Parliament.
SELLING THEIR VOTE
Today, this is no longer so. By far the majority of persons who 'work' during a political campaign expect to be paid. The candidate is expected to have a weekly payroll for all those who are working full time, and are unemployed. To many of these 'workers', election represents an opportunity for temporary full-time employment. Those unemployed voters who are being canvassed by this group of paid 'workers' begin to make financial demands on the constituency machinery, and so the campaign budget balloons even more. This budget by the way so far does not include transportation during the campaign and on election day, food, advertising and public relations, paraphernalia, office and equipment costs.
The electorate has changed in the last decade. Too many persons are willing to sell their vote and accept deposits prior to election day. Cellular phones can now provide verification of the promised support by simply photographing the marked ballot behind the screen. If Jamaican politics is going to be, or already has been reduced to the level where politicians feel obliged to pay for votes, the days ahead are indeed very grim.
The public conduct of party members must also be scrutinised. When a sitting Member of Parl-iament (MP) speaks on national television about "covetousness", and his would-be successor responds by urging the MP to give thanks for what he now has, and the retired MP publicly criticises the sitting MP with the most humiliating remarks some persons must be asking, "What is this?"
or "Stop this now".
NO TRACK RECORD
During the last couple of months many persons have made it clear that they wish to become candidates for the general elections. Too many of them have no track record of party work, and some I am not even sure of their membership in the People's National Party. One really begins therefore to question motive. But, in doing so what is clear is that some of them have the financial backing to contest an election. This is a dangerous time. The Gleaner's editorial of Tuesday expressed concern about drug dons and international terrorists that "soon, they, or their proxies may be in Jamaica House, Gordon House and King's House".
My concern, however, is more basic. Those who are members of both political parties have a first responsibility to ensure that they do not enter through the gates of 89 Old Hope Road and 20 Belmont Road. This is a small price for victory - or defeat.
Heather Robinson is a life underwriter and former Member of Parliament.
