Ian Boyne

The encomiums and superlatives have been pouring in over Prime Minister Orette Bruce Golding's swearing-in speech on Tuesday. As I had predicted, it did stir minds and touch hearts, while galvanising hope that the Prime Minister might be able to tackle some fundamental problems which need urgent attention.

Golding's speech was a masterly crafted and impressively delivered gem, strategically and surgically aimed at certain sections of the body politic as well as the organs of civil society. It established once again that Golding is a first-rate communicator who knows how to speak to the concerns, interests and fears of his audience, as I have long maintained.

Kevin O'Brien Chang said on radio Wednesday morning that Golding is improving as a speaker, for he used to be dull. We don't have a reading culture, so I have been forced to quote myself from long ago columns to dispel the impression that my acknowledgement of Golding's strengths is merely self-serving and opportunistic. The one time I ever criticised my journalistic colleague Cliff Hughes, whom I rate highly, was in 2004 when he gave a failing grade to Golding's speech at the launch of his campaign for the leadership of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).

Hughes, in his sometime visceral, high-octane histrionic style lashed Golding for his "boring" 59-minute speech, saying he had lost the people and squandered his speaking opportunity.

unacknowledged strength

I disagreed vehemently in my column of August 15, 2004, titled 'On target empathy highlights Golding's speech'.

In that column I wrote: "The Golding speech again demonstrated an unacknowledged strength which he possesses: His ability to speak to the concerns and issues of the average Jamaican, particularly those in urban centres. While Golding is not charismatic in the traditional sense of the word, he is an effective communicator who has a rare ability to connect with the deep concerns, anxieties and frustrations of people."

If there is any Johnny-come-lately in acknowledging Golding's strengths, including his enormous communications skills, it is not Ian Boyne. To their eternal credit, no one in the People's National Party government ever questioned me about any of the many favourable pieces I wrote about Golding, or sought to pressure or influence me in any way whatsoever.

That Golding gave such an impressive speech is no surprise to me.

That he gave himself a measurable target for achieving certain things means that he wants to hold himself accountable to us. He has not just spoken vaguely or philosophically. He has given himself 100 days to deal with some things which don't require any money. The establishment of a Citizens Protection Bureau to defend the rights of citizens and to secure redress, and the creation of a single independent authority to investigate instances of abuses by members of the security forces would be significant and far-reaching steps which would go a far way in deepening justice in the country and in reducing the alienation felt by the oppressed classes.

giving away the power

The curtailment of the powers of the Executive - that is, Mr. Golding's own powers - plus the strengthening of the Opposition in Parliament cannot be overstressed in terms of their importance. Imagine a Jamaican politician coming to power after so many years and deciding very early in the game to give away some of that power! The effect that this would have in reducing the cynicism toward politicians and the Political Project itself, as well as re-energising the uncommitted and independent sector, is enormous.

creative reform

Golding's ideas for reform of our governance and political systems represent the most creative and far-reaching since the Michael Manley agenda. I want to engage the UWI social scientists and the intellectuals on the Left in a discussion on that thesis. While there is talk about Golding as a hostage to 'Big Money' interests and to the ethnic elites, let us also discuss the profound ideas for the redistribution of power in the society.

Which progressive could disagree with the following list as identified by the Prime Minister as priorities in fighting corruption? The imposition of criminal sanctions for breaches in rules governing the award of government contracts; the establishment of a Special Prosecutor to investigate and prosecute persons involved in corruption; the enactment of legislation for the impeachment and removal from office of public officials guilty of misconduct, corruption, abuse of authority or betrayal of public trust - which is much broader than bribery or kickbacks; the review of the slander and libel laws to remove the cover for wrongdoers, and the introduction of a whistle-blower legislation? Which progressive intellectual is prepared to say publicly these are reactionary and backward proposals?

These are proposals which should be unanimously endorsed in our Parliament. A lot of the things involving justice and human rights and the redistribution of power cost nothing and would have a catalytic impact on the society, engendering greater trust, cooperation and a revival of civic activism. Golding's proposals have the potential to increase the levels of social capital in the country and better prepare us to deal with our social and economic challenges as well as the challenges posed by globalisation.

Golding made a subtle but significant statement - no doubt genuine and magnanimous - but its caution should not be missed. In extending the hand of cooperation to outgoing Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, he said: "In our pairs of hands rest so much of the hope of the people of Jamaica." But he added the noteworthy statement: "We have a choice. Those hands can engage in hand-to-hand combat or we can join those hands together to build a nation and that is strong, just, peaceful, and prosperous."

This must be seen in the context of the narrow, still-contested victory by the JLP and the consequently robust Opposition which, after a somewhat bitter electoral campaign, might be tempted to be overly strident as Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition.The PNP meets today at its party conference and the party leader Portia Simpson Miller will make her address. It will be left to see how she and the party respond to the political moment.

portia's response?

Golding has set out the choices before the Opposition Leader. Today we will get a hint of the response. The Prime Minister made another important statement whose inclusiveness and non-tribalist spirit has not been picked up by any commentator.

After saying "I want to sit down with you, Portia," he said significantly: "Let's talk about the dream that I believe we share for Jamaica whose people are at peace with each other, where equality and justice reign supreme, where every child can go toa good school and every adult to a decent job, and where everyone might not be rich but no one has to be poor." Notice he said all these goals were shared by both of them; not just espoused by him. In that single statement he has acknowledged the strength of Portia's vision and commitment to the poor and marginalised.

For while the tribalists have every interest in demonising the one and deifying the other, the fact is that Bruce Golding and Portia Simpson Miler share much in common. I have sat in Portia's office with tears in my eyes giving choked responses just listening to her talk about gut-wrenching poverty in her constituency and her deep - indescribably deep - commitment to Jamaica's poor and oppressed.

The country is indebted to Portia for mainstreaming the interests and cries of the oppressed and marginalised. Portia has not lost. Bruce cannot ignore the agenda of the poor for she has thrust it at the centre. Indeed, in the election campaign the JLP 'out-PNPed' the PNP by promising free education and free health care along with other promises.

poor have not lost

The Prime Minister is indeed right. "We must ensure that those who may think that they did not win are reassured that they have not lost." Not since Michael Manley of the 1970s have the class interests and concerns of the poor and oppressed been as rhetorically focused as they have been under Portia Simpson Miller. Seaga and Patterson certainly were concerned about the poor and Seaga, especially, has been driven by an intense, unquenchable struggle on behalf of Jamaica's underclasses. But he never used the rhetoric in a way that Manley and Portia have.

Some might say the rhetoric is not important, but silence has been one of the stratagems used by the ruling class to marginalise working-class interests. The Prime Minister was right in acknowledging the similarities he shares with the outgoing Prime Minister. Whether he was just playing to the civil society gallery or not, it was an acknowledgement of truth, whatever the diehard, unthinking partisans and tribalists say.

The Prime Minister will need co-operation, emotional capital and trust if he is to confront three of the tasks which he has set himself, and which people largely voted for the JLP for: The reduction of crime, the creation of jobs and the provision of an educated productive people. I suggest that these will be hardest to achieve for the new Government.

I have for long written that politicians must tell the people the truth, that there is no silver bullet or economic Nirvana; no Promised Land waiting us once we'd driven out the PNP Canaanites. Our economic stagnation is not just due to Omar Davies and the PNP. The Prime Minister put it well: "The financial constraints and fiscal challenges that we face are well known," and will require "medium and long-term solutions". The problem is that the people are looking for solutions now, not later.

And an Opposition could now, with roles switched, play cheap politics and fool up the people about their plight being due to "JLP wickedness" and "Bruce's three-card tricks". This is why our role as journalists and civil society activists will be crucial during this period. And this is why Golding's strengths as a leader, his ennobling vision and powerful, inclusive agenda of reforms are so pivotal.

Ian Boyne is a veteran journalist who may be reached at ianboyne1@yahoo.com