As would be expected, much is being made of the report by the appraisal committee that was established by the People's National Party (PNP) into its performance in last September's general election.

Mrs Simpson Miller in particular is likely to be very attuned to the the analyses and dissection of the document and its findings, both inside the PNP and externally, especially among the pundits in the media. She will perhaps feel that much of public conclusions about the document do not accord with the facts and are unfair.

From her point of view, the focus, so far, will have been too narrowly on her role - as the PNP's leader - in the party's defeat with not enough on the strengths she brought to the party. In some respects, Mrs Simpson Miller would be correct, for as the committee remarked, the majority of party workers agreed that but for her leadership, the PNP, after 18 years in office, would have suffered a heavy defeat rather than being just edged out at the finish. Mrs Simpson Miller, however, will understand that such are the perils of leadership, and as the committee's findings indicated, there were substantial deficits in hers. Indeed, as leader of the party, she has to be held accountable.

But there is more to the Meeks Committee Report than a narrow accounting by the leader; there is its call to the PNP for a deep introspection, which is what makes the document, in our view, important. Critically, there is a level of transparency to the process.

Indeed, as we have argued before, political parties, which seek from the people the authority to manage the State - with which comes great power over our lives - cannot operate merely as private clubs. We might not all have an opportunity to decide on their internal actions. It ought to be our right, though, to know the processes by which they conduct their affairs, and they have a responsibility to the society to be transparent about it.

In this regard, the PNP and its leaders are to be commended, in the first place for commissioning the review, and second, by allowing the public some, if so far limited, participation in the discourse surrounding it. A substantial part of the document is posted on the PNP's website.

PNP supporters and opponents, but more important, all of us who are concerned about issues of governance in Jamaica, can give our own thoughts on the issues which PNP leaders/workers and the appraisal team felt led to the party's rejection at the polls.

But more important than those conclusions, in our view, is the framework offered by the Meeks teams, for the PNP to "regain its soul" and to renew itself. This is a starting point for the PNP to prove to Jamaicans its relevance not only as an organisation, but as an institution that is capable of the vision and capacity to articulate and execute policies and programmes to enhance the lives of the Jamaican people in an increasingly complex world. It is in part about gaining our trust.

The Meeks Committee, therefore, poses some hard questions, the debate about which will further bruise egos. But it is an important process, which, to her credit, Mrs Simpson Miller has not sought to stifle.

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