Delroy Chuck

Sometime this year, probably soon after Cricket World Cup, the country will vote in another general election. For citizens over 18 years, it is not only their democratic right but their civic and national duty to vote for a better Jamaica. Yet, so many, perhaps in excess of 350,000 eligible persons, have simply failed to enumerate and/or ignored the nation's call to secure a brighter future for ourselves and future generations.

Up to Saturday, March 31, another enumeration opportunity beckons the indolent, the reluctant or the deliberately withdrawn, potential, voters to become eligible to elect representatives in the next general election. Continuously, the Electoral Commission of Jamaica conducts an enumeration exercise and the next period ends in March for a new voters list to be published in May.

Election fever

This new list is the most likely one on which elections will be held. Interestingly, it is only when the elections are called or when the election fever is in the air that voters bother to check on their enumeration, when now is the time to do so.

Last year, the Electoral Office carried out a cumbersome reverification exercise, checking on voter residence, removing dead persons from the list, effecting transfers for voters who changed residence and, generally, updating the voters list. The net result is that nearly 300,000 persons were removed from the voters list, as they could not be found.

In my constituency, North East St. Andrew, I am really disappointed that over 3,000 persons were not verified but residents who replaced them have not bothered to transfer their votes. There are some stupid and malicious voices spreading propaganda that the 3,000 names removed were bogus votes, which is total nonsense, as an average of about 5,000 voters have been removed from each of the 60 constituencies. Actually, NE St. Andrew should have a voters list in excess of 20,000 voters but, at present, it is just around 14,000, which means in excess of 6,000 residents need to act now.

Persons have not bothered to enumerate, inter alia, because they do not want to serve as jurors, cannot find the time to get it done, are fed up with the political process, do not see any benefit from voting or, in some cases, lack civic pride. In my experience, many potential voters tell me that their votes cannot make a difference or I have enough votes and don't need anymore, which may be true but, still, experience teaches that every vote counts. Moreover, I want my total and majority on election day to improve and, inter alia, explain why I work quietly and steadfastly on the ground for my constituency ranking to compete favourably with the other winning Jamaica Labour Party seats. My present challenge is to convince residents in my constituency to get on the NE St. Andrew list but it is a daunting task, as people are so complacent.

Critical

To be sure, voting in the next general election is critical. After 18 years of government, the present People's National Party should and must be retired from office. Consider the three most important areas of government - the economy, education, and law and order - the Government has failed on any count. The economy has stagnated and barely averages 1 per cent growth per annum, which explains why Government officials are so elated that the economy may grow by over two per cent this year. We are at the bottom of the CXC pass list in virtually every subject when compared with the rest of the Caribbean, and each year our schools graduate hordes of illiterates, ill-equipped and misfits. Is it any wonder that under this Government, we are averaging in excess of 1,000 murders over the last eight or more years? Isn't it timeJamaicans seriously contemplate voting for a better Jamaica and get ready to do so?