Here we are many months into a general election campaign, and ten days after a general election date has been announced, neither the PNP nor the JLP has published a manifesto stating the issues of policy and programme over which this election contest will be fought. Suppose our Most Honourable Prime Minister had set a date in July (as many had predicted), how much time would the electorate have had to familiarise themselves with the issues? It is beginning to look like neither party wants us to get a good look at their ideas, to evaluate their proposals and suggestions. Maybe they don't believe their ideas can stand up to close scrutiny, and maybe the ideas can't. It seems as if the two parties want us to make our decision on how to vote, based not on the issues, but on tribal grounds.

Election based on past and future performance

In a genuine democracy, elections are fought on past performance and future programme; the contenders must be prepared to stand on their records, both the record of their words and the record of their deeds; and what is lacking in past performance must be made up in future prospects of new strategies. Clearly we in Jamaica are far away from genuine democracy, for we do not have in front of us the position papers of any of the contenders, not even the manifesto of the 'new and different' National Democratic Movement.

The political polls seek to measure the present standings, and we hear that this or that party is leading; but since the issues have not been put on the table, on what basis can a voter have made up his or her mind?

Obviously our two tribes expect us to make up our minds based on tribalism itself! "My party - right or wrong -my party". Their vision is that every Jamaican must join a tribe, and then we must suspend reason and logic and support that tribe, no matter what rubbish they have done in the past, or what rubbish they may say they are going to do in the future. The manifesto is therefore not really important; what is really important is that the troops must be kept happy: lots of bread and circuses, curry goat and election 'mek work' now, and promises of contracts, houses and waivers in the future.

The tribes would love if every Jamaican became 'die-hearted', that is, down to the 'fowl in dem yard' is PNP or JLP; different standards would then be required. If a party member - politician or activist - were caught in corruption or a profound conflict of interest, then it would not be a serious matter; for the other side knows that if they were in power they would do the same thing. And when Opposition becomes Government, no serious investigation will take place into the corruption of the past, for when the tables turn again, we wouldn't want to be investigated. The two tribes may disagree on many things, but not on the fact that the system must be maintained.

And the issues are irrelevant, for I vote for my tribe, not for some concept or policy or strategy. And it wouldn't matter who the candidates are. I believe it was one of our national heroes who said that if he put up a black dog as a candidate, he would expect his party supporters to vote for him. Issues are irrelevant in this travesty of democracy.

And on what basis would a serious patriotic businessman donate hard-earned money to a political party if not based on the programme of the party? It would seem that even our private sector has bought into political tribalism.

This coming election, the 10th in the history of Independent Jamaica, will only expose how far away we are from true democracy.

The polls show that many young people have not bought into this tribal system. Before they award their vote they want to know what they are voting for, they want to knowthe issues each of the contenders supports. That, rather than any expectation of 'change' after the election, is the true hope for Jamaica.