The Editor, Sir:

I want to commend you for your present series on the Jamaican diaspora over the past weeks. As an active delegate from the New York/North East sector, I am somewhat disappointed with Jamaica's Government (past and present) when it comes to how the diaspora is dealt with. What I see is close to the biennial conference is when focus is seen. This has to stop, we must have ongoing dialogue.

Not priority

The main point of this letter is regarding the matter of voting/representation in Parliament. I do not believe that this should be a priority, because we need not vote nor have any representative in Parliament.

Here are the issues with reps in Parliament: (1) How many seats will the diaspora be allowed? (2) If one, how do we select (location/population)? (3) Who will appoint Government or Opposition? (4) How do we address attendance? (5) Who makes the selection in the diaspora and how will that rep be vetted?

We in the diaspora believe that we are the number-one foreign exchange earners for Jamaica - good, but that does not make us kings/queens to want to dictate what goes on in Jamaica. We contribute to our families out of our personal obligation.

We have learnt a lot where we now call home; some are good to export to Jamaica, but not all.

What we in the diaspora must seek to do is partner with our Jamaican counterparts; invest, whether individually or collec-tively, in projects that we can make a profit and in the interim create employment and development from the communities we came from.

I am, etc.,

PATRICK A. BECKFORD

pbeckf01@yahoo.com

Somerset, NJ

Via Go-Jamaica