So What Now?
Jamaicans went to the polls on Wednesday, September 3, and have chosen to give the ruling Jamaica Labour Party a third term in office, albeit with a majority of three. We congratulate the JLP, and we commend the PNP, as well, for gaining fifteen new seats in the parliament.
Some Observations:
- The Electoral Office of Jamaica declared that the number of those who voted was 39.5 percent of eligible voters, just 1.6% more than the last election in 2020. The highest percentage on record was in 1980, when there was a voter turnout of 78.4 per cent.
- The electoral process was dogged by many challenges, which the EOJ will need to review. This included malfunctioning equipment, those who were in the lines in some areas after 5:00 pm but were not allowed to vote, and inadequate provision for the elderly and wheelchair bound citizens.
As in many past elections, we had a robust campaign by both political parties, which was characterized by major financial promises that included reduced income tax and increased minimum wage. In addition, we also had verbal attacks and counterattacks of financial impropriety, and despite everything, it was refreshing to note the absence of gun violence, which usually intimidates voters. Anecdotal stories indicate that there was vote buying, and indirect public campaigning hours before the election, even at the Polling Division (PD) I went to vote. In that case, a voter in another line had a campaign speech being played on her phone for all to hear, with no intervention from the official personnel in charge.
What Is Happening or What Is Changing?
The political parties and issues they promoted did not seem to attract the voters. The electoral process has failed to attract more non-traditional voters, and those sitting on the fence, often described as the uncommitted. This level of apathy towards the electoral process is undesirable. What could be contributing to this phenomenon? I want to suggest these reasons.
- A change in the global geopolitical issues from the 70s and 80s to the current period. Some of you will recall that during those years, the world was literally divided into two camps, socialism and capitalism. These global ideologies influenced Jamaican politics greatly. Hence, in the 80s, the perceived alignment of the PNP and the JLP generated much energy, enthusiasm, and even hostility, to say the least. There is no such polarised political ideology dividing the parties today. Thanks be to God.
- Even though the political parties still have a latent historical worldview, it is sometimes not so easy to see these manifested in practice. Hence, it seems like they are measured based on who can deliver more goods, and so people vote accordingly.
What Do We Need to Do to Move Forward?
- Develop sustainable political issues that hold our focus and attention beyond an election campaign. These could be justice for all, but particularly sectoral groups such as children, the elderly, the poor, the youth, persons living with a disability, corruption, and worker victimization, to name a few.
- The country needs to hold political leaders accountable when there are breaches of these principles by using all available, effective, and legal means of protest, such as, public media (radio, TV, newspaper), social media (TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, etc), including protesting with placards, when necessary.
- The church also needs to pray for politicians and work with them, where possible, to bring about needed care and changes to the human, social, and physical environment in which we serve.
- The church needs to remember that politics is not only about elections, for parliamentarians are elected to serve us, and hence we need to develop and maintain an active and present voice in the communities in which we live.
Let me say, finally, that Christian participation in elections should not be optional. To “let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” Amos 5:24, we cannot be spectators to the electoral process. There is no place to say, “If I had known” after the votes are counted. We have a responsibility of participating in the electoral process “to act justly, to love mercy and uphold righteousness”.
I close with an African proverb,
“Out of hatred for the cockroach, the ants voted for the insecticide....
They all died.... including the housefly that didn’t even vote!”
Our Students and Teachers
Let us pray for our students and teachers who face another term, with all the related challenges and difficulties; we pray that they will receive the necessary resources and support to make this a productive and rewarding period.
Your Pastor