By: Staff Writer
November 22, 2022
Luminaries, including two former Jamaican Prime Ministers, came together to celebrate the latest work of University of the West Indies Professor Errol Miller on “Elections and Governance- Jamaica on the Global Frontier: The Independence Years, 1962-2016” the first of a two part series released by Professor Miller on elections and governance in Jamaica over its existence.
P. J. Patterson, former Jamaican Prime Minister during 1992-2006, said about the release of Professor Miller’s book that the Electoral Advisory Committee emerged when the confidence in the Jamaican electoral system faced what he called a “crisis.” He added: “Our political leaders realized we are in danger of going over the precipice. So political will, combined with academic and human capital, had to be invested to avert the destruction of our nation.
“The Electoral Commission which exists today is a shining star on the global frontier. It has been tried, tested and proven. We, the people of Jamaica, have designed and established a system which can stand comparison with one anywhere else in the world.”
The EAC was formed under a politically charged environment in 1979, with fierce fights about the composition of the EAC. The initial system of having the nominated members agree to the appointment of selected members did not work because no agreement could be reached among the Nominated Members.
What resulted in the political logjam on the composition of the EAC, further fuelled the flames of a hotly contested and bloody 1980 Jamaican general election, has been described as one of the bloodiest in the Western Hemisphere and the bloodiest in the Caribbean to date.
That election saw 844 people murdered, which some believe was much higher. Almost 35 per cent of those killed were slaughtered in the constituency of West Central St Andrew, which had the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Ferdinand Yap and the Peopple’s National Party (PNP) Carl ‘Russian’ Thompson as candidates.
Prior to the vote, the PNP, led by Prime Minister Michael Manley, had a 47 to 13 majority over the JLP, led by Edward Seaga. With the loss by 38 PNP incumbents to their JLP challengers, Seaga’s party captured a 51 to 9 majority and Seaga replaced Manley as Prime Minister of Jamaica. Voter turnout was 86.9 percent.
Reports have now surfaced that Seaga was helped by American interference due to Manley being portrayed as being left-leaning, which during the height of the Cold War between the US and Soviet Union, was seen as a death sentence for any political leader in the Western Hemisphere.
This culture of violence in Jamaica is spiralling out of control again. Mr Patterson also said: “No one today can deny that crime violence have escalated to cataclysmic levels which imperil the safety and comity of our entire nation. The entire social order is in danger of imminent collapse.
“Professor Miller’s book provides a number of invaluable insights on how to gather as one, we may once again further advance governance in the country, and what he calls hedge against aggression. He advocates a zeitgeist of governance with a tripartite framework that involves all political parties and civil societies in critical areas.”
Bruce Golding, former Jamaican Prime Minister during 2007-2011, recalls the hard work that went into transforming the EAC to the Electoral Commission of Jamaica. “One of the things that we can really be proud of is the robust, responsive, transparent, efficient electoral management system that we have with us.”
He also said gaining trust and confidence of the Jamaican people was “no easy feat” and several layers of safeguards had to be put in place to ensure safe and fair elections in Jamaica since 1979.
He added: “So we have a lot to be thankful for….And the two generations of Jamaicans who are under 50 can be forgiven if they take it for granted. They came and found it. Those of us who are in the higher age echelons, those of us who are around and those of us who experienced a long period of flawed voter registration, flawed constituency boundary determination, flawed voting processes, those of us who can recall the mistrust and the controversy that prevail from one election to the next. We can appreciate where we were, and how far we have come.
“The members of the electoral advisory committee and its successor, the Electoral Commission of Jamaica, who laboured was not easy job.”
Professor Miller said about his latest work, “I’m thankful today for what has been launched although one is still to come: Elections and Governance, Jamaica on the global frontiers (The Colonial Years) 1663 to 1962 and elections and governance, Jamaica on the global frontiers (The Independence Years) 1962 to 2016.”
The Independence Years chronicles how the nation-state has struggled with its colonial history. It highlights the dilemma of winner-take-all governance; the inherent flaws of democracy in its umbilical connection with elections, in that elected representatives can constitutionally and legally appropriate the sovereign power of the people; and outlines Jamaica’s unique attempt to resolve the paradox sustained so far by the electorate and elected representatives. The Independence Years identifies limits of elections and the political process in decolonization, subversive effects of some successful forms of resistance of colonialism and slavery to building a viable state, moral society, and authentic democracy, as well as the risk of regression to oligarchy. It challenges the Jamaica Umbrella Group of Churches, starting with itself, to take the lead in continuing transformation of the Jamaican nation while avoiding nationalistic Christianity.
Professor Miller also said: “I was blown away when I read the invitation, I was delighted to see that my alma mater, UWI, has associated themselves with these two books in a way that that exceeds anything that I could expect through their global reach with television and social media.”
The book is now available on Amazon for $40USD.