Wthin the next 24 hours, Portia Simpson-Miller will ceremonially take the oath as Jamaica’s new prime minister after last Thursday’s crushing 42-21 poll victory by her People’s National Party (PNP) for the 63-member House of Representatives.
In the face of such an overwhelming electoral triumph over the incumbent Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), the 66-year-old veteran politician has been revealing a mature demeanour and appealing for cooperation and unity in Jamaica’s national interest.
In contrast to her angry, hurtful mood on the night of the September 3, 2007, when, after being prime minister for nearly 18 months as successor to the retired P.J. Patterson, Simpson-Miller had difficulties managing her bitterness over an unexpected 32-28 defeat by the JLP for the then 60-member parliament. But last Thursday night she was stoic on stage as she restrained herself while thousands of her exuberant supporters celebrated the PNP’s exhilarating return to government.
In the face of the country’s deep-seated social and economic woes, including a high rate of unemployment, particularly among youth, and with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) menacingly peering down on fiscal management, she clearly struck a posture of sober realism. Indeed, this mood explained why she was in no rush to see the back of the JLP leader, the 39-year-old Andrew Holness, who was prime minister for just two months after succeeding Bruce Golding.
Therefore, Holness, who has himself been admirably speaking about “accepting the verdict of the people”, while leaving no doubts about his evident surprise, if not shock, at the scale of his JLP’s defeat, was allowed by Simpson-Miller to remain as prime minister to welcome all Jamaica into the New Year of 2012 and rallying the party’s supporters to work in the nation’s best interest.
Both of Jamaica’s leading newspapers – Gleaner and Observer – have commended the victory speech and subsequent public comments by the new prime minister-designate. And for the respected Jamaican-born Caribbean economist and commentator Dr Norman Girvan, such political maturity is to be welcomed in the face of the socio-economic realities.
The immediate challenge facing the new government, Girvan noted, is the economy – specifically, the IMF. As he sees it, the new PNP administration has no choice but to reestablish efforts started by the JLP to get a realistic agreement with the IMF.
Of course, there are other harsh realities to be borne in mind as they relate to the arithmetic of the December 29 parliamentary election. For a start, in terms of popular votes gained, the PNP won its 42 seats with 53 per cent of the valid votes to the JLP’s 49.9 per cent for its 21 seats – a difference of some 3.01 per cent.
Both parties, therefore, are faced with striking challenges to maintain and expand their popular support and doing so in an environment conducive to proper planning to move Jamaica out of its deep-rooted social and economic woes.
