Monday, January 2, 2012

The Jamaican elections

Despite being overseas, I have been monitoring the Jamaican elections closely for I just happen to be a "politics tetese" so listening to radio on the internet at every opportunity and reading the newspapers on line became a must during the entire period leading up to the polls and on election night I never turned off Power 106 until it was really over.

I must admit I was quite perturbed at not being able to vote for they set the date for the 29th December, long after I had made my plans. So this is the first election that I would not vote since 1976.

Man these results were a big surprise for it ended with the PNP winning a landslide victory. I say surprise since we have always depended on pollsters to give us an idea what was happening in the fields but the 3 polling organisations flopped terribly in this one. One group predicted a JLP victory, the other said it was too close to call and the third said it would be the PNP by a nose. Well it turned out to be a wipeout of the JLP and a huge mandate for Portia, Jamaica's first female prime minister.

She was not my choice despite most people thinking that I am a feminist, (I also think I am!) but just didn't think she was up to the job at this time when the world is in deep recession. She has too many dinosaurs around her who have been total failures in the past and can be nothing but the same the future. I hope she, has the good sense to select some capable people this time around..... young, vibrant, bright people for the old flops "canna cross It".

I am really disappointed in what will be the opposition now too. I  really cannot figure out Jamaican voters. How is it that someone  as despicable as Everald Warmington keeps winning and also J.C Hutchinson whose laziness is legendary! And James Robinson? Oh God.  I really never knew that country people had green and orange blood the way they do in the garrisons. Of course, there was no doubt about Desmond McKenzies, since he represents a super garrison but having people like those dominating the opposition is really frightening.

Boy am I glad that I expelled all desire to get involved in represetational politics in the 80's. Come to think of it, although I neither like the late Michael Manley nor Edward Seaga, I have a lot to be thankful to them for. To Michael for coming to Canada and encouraging us to return to Jamaica to help "build our county" , for despite the fact that he did the very opposite in the 70's, had he not visited us Jamaicans in Canada and delivered that inspirational speech, I would probably be there still, freezing to death and simply existing as opposed to enjoying life as I now do, a "Yard."

Then Seaga cured me of any desire to remain in politics, for after joining the JLP after the 1976 elections, to help defeat communism, one term of dealing with that megalomaniac Seaga, who has no respect for "thinking people" as he determined that he was the one don and knew everything, cured me by the mid 80's.

Quite frankly, being an impartial voter and a critic of all political parties and politicians, is much more fun!

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