We commend Mr Robert Pickersgill, the chairman of the People's National Party (PNP), to section 80 of the Constitution of Jamaica, which reads in part as follows:

"(1) There shall be a leader of the Opposition who shall be appointed by the Governor General by instrument under the Broad Seal.

"(2) Whenever the Governor General has occasion to appoint a leader of the Opposition he shall, in his discretion, appoint the member of the House of Representatives who, in his judgement, is best able to command the support of the largest single group of such members who are prepared to support one leader."

The point is that the office of the leader of the Opposition is a constitutionally recognised position and the office and its holder are integral parts of the Government of Jamaica.

Indeed, there are many functions in the administration of government where the input of the leader of the Opposition is, by constitutional requirement, absolutely critical.

Anaemic interpretation

So, Mr Pickersgill, a lawyer, politician and parliamentarian of long-standing, brings a particularly anaemic interpretation of events when he declares of the contest between Mrs Portion Simpson Miller and Dr Peter Phillips:

"This is about delegates choosing a leader. That is an internal matter, which does not necessarily have to be played out in public."

In the event that Mr Pickersgill has missed the point, let's explain: choosing the leader of a political party that is represented in Parliament is not merely an internal issue.

By convention and practical application, it is the party leader who becomes prime minister or leader of the Opposition. And elevation to either job need not happen at the time of a general election. It can happen midstream, as when Bruce Golding became leader of the Opposition in 2005 at the resignation of Edward Seaga, or Mrs Simpson Miller became prime minister in 2006 when P.J. Patterson retired.

Political parties, therefore, can't presume to operate merely as private clubs that conduct their business behind closed doors. The wider community has a real and legitimate interest in their activities, and they have a responsibility to conduct their affairs with transparency.

Messy affair

In the case of the PNP, Dr Phillips' challenge to Mrs Simpson Miller's leadership has evolved into a bit of a messy affair. Some in the party fear the sharp, and often personal rhetoric that has emerged in the campaign will deepen the wounds in the PNP, which did not heal after the 2006 contest when Mrs Simpson scraped ahead of Dr Phillips in a four-way race.

The absurd solution of many of the PNP's top brass is to tell both camps to stop talking to the press and to propose something of a ban on the media at some PNP events. They hope, apparently, that any nasty thing that is said about the candidates or supporting factions won't reach the press and, by extension, the Jamaican people. But, such things should, so people can come to a conclusion about the PNP.

When the campaign started, this newspaper said it hoped that it would be a discourse based on big ideas, rather than muddy swipes at personalities. The big issues, unfortunately, have been drowned out by petty issues. The engagement on vision and renewal is partial.

People should know this.