THE EDITOR, Sir:

THERE SEEMS to be a general feeling of despair, disappointment and disgust concerning the ways our esteemed political leaders have managed the affairs of the state since Independence. There are important areas of national life that can be readily held up as areas of achievements. Sadly, many have come to believe that the negative outweighs the positive. We have created a political and social culture that is dehumanising and corrupting. So pervasive are these two negative forces that many people shrug at them or accept them as part of the 'runnings'.

Too often we are quick to see the fault of the youths in the inner city expressing in their songs, a language or a message that devalues, yet we turn a blind eye to those who are supposed to be better-cultured using equally disgusting and distasteful language that results in the same erosion of our values and lack of respect for each other.

Issue of governance

Recent events of the termination of the services of the commissioner of police, the governor of the Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) and other senior persons in the government apparatus beg urgent and focused attention on the issue of governance. It is time for the Progressive Agenda and the Jamaica Needs a Change mantras to coalesce. There are some fundamentals that we must agree on if we are going to put our country back on a developmental track as we move towards 2030.

We must re-examine the way we appoint persons who hold certain positions in the public sector. These persons should be brought before the Parliament where they are thoroughly cross-examined.

The contract of persons being engaged by the state should be subject to the scrutiny of at least a committee of Parliament. This process in and of itself will force those who negotiate contracts on our behalf to be more vigilant. This is one of the consequences of transparency and accountability.

Persons who are the CEOs of public bodies should not be the chairman of the board. This is bad governance and the arrangement at the BOJ or at any other public body should not be allowed to continue.

We need to enter into meaningful conversation, as a civil society, on a wide range of issues facing us. The framework of the Vision 2030 is a good place to start.

We need, as a society, to get real and establish the protocol that will ensure that certain positions in the public sector will require automatic resignation or termination of contracts once a new government is elected. This is not beyond us to do and will require contracts to be written in a particular way that will prevent the state from having to pay out millions of dollars consequent on a change of government.

I believe that it is reasonable to expect a new government to want to have key areas of the government apparatus staffed by people who have more than passing interest in its overall vision and mission. This discussion must begin not only with the political parties, but with the wider society about what these positions should be. Clearly, one should be the governor of the central bank.

Our nation is bleeding, and bold, new approaches are necessary to pull us from anarchy and perpetual underdevelopment.

I am, etc.,

REV DR PAUL GARDNER

pgardner@cwjamaica.com