Dear Editor,
The Westminster system of government has outlived its useful life in Jamaica and the time has come for us to revisit our structure. It has done a great injustice not only to the people but to the politicians and their political parties. Our constitution also needs revamping as our laws need to be modernised to reflect the realities of today's Jamaica.
I do not share the view that all politicians are inherently corrupt. I believe the system is designed for them to be corrupt. Those with the best political minds and with the burning desire to serve, when given the opportunity, eventually cave in to the system as no one person can fight it. It was designed to trick the poor and promote the rich and powerful. The wealthy class funds the campaign for the parties from which they can collect spoils and they alternate parties to have the people think its democracy at work.
Loyalty to party is the most important consideration for the politicians as they stand helpless without the support of their party. Party considerations must be at the centre of every allocation of funds by the Government, and it becomes party first.
The system is a lie. It tells you that the head of state (governor general) chooses the head of government (prime minister). Lie! The leader of the party that wins the most seats in a parliamentary election -- barring illness -- becomes prime minister all the time.
It is also the prime minister who chooses the head of state. The next lie is that no one votes for the head of government or prime minister. The electorate votes for their member of parliament and that same vote somehow endorses that party leader for prime minister. Please note that the party leader is chosen by the delegates of the party because he/she is seen as the best person to lead the party to victory, not necessarily the best to lead the Government of Jamaica.
This system has now brought us to the point where people just vote for party, irrespective of who the candidates are. This might be one of the reasons half of the eligible voters do not vote, they have lost faith, if not hope. Something is wrong with this system. People should be able to vote for their member of parliament and their prime minister separately. This might just encourage people to run as independents and encourage third parties.
It is full time we change this system or quite soon we will have only the political bases voting and our politics will be reduced to violence and our country to shambles. Both political parties have exhausted their usefulness and the system is the cause of it. Jamaicans are forced to recycle these two parties every five years as the system dictates. We are running out of options. The people are growing impatient with this party-centric system and the clock is ticking, tick tick tick.
Ryan Russell
Brompton, St Elizabeth
ryanrussell577@gmail.com
The system makes politicians corrupt
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The Westminster system of government has outlived its useful life in Jamaica and the time has come for us to revisit our structure. It has done a great injustice not only to the people but to the politicians and their political parties. Our constitution also needs revamping as our laws need to be modernised to reflect the realities of today's Jamaica.
I do not share the view that all politicians are inherently corrupt. I believe the system is designed for them to be corrupt. Those with the best political minds and with the burning desire to serve, when given the opportunity, eventually cave in to the system as no one person can fight it. It was designed to trick the poor and promote the rich and powerful. The wealthy class funds the campaign for the parties from which they can collect spoils and they alternate parties to have the people think its democracy at work.
Loyalty to party is the most important consideration for the politicians as they stand helpless without the support of their party. Party considerations must be at the centre of every allocation of funds by the Government, and it becomes party first.
The system is a lie. It tells you that the head of state (governor general) chooses the head of government (prime minister). Lie! The leader of the party that wins the most seats in a parliamentary election -- barring illness -- becomes prime minister all the time.
It is also the prime minister who chooses the head of state. The next lie is that no one votes for the head of government or prime minister. The electorate votes for their member of parliament and that same vote somehow endorses that party leader for prime minister. Please note that the party leader is chosen by the delegates of the party because he/she is seen as the best person to lead the party to victory, not necessarily the best to lead the Government of Jamaica.
This system has now brought us to the point where people just vote for party, irrespective of who the candidates are. This might be one of the reasons half of the eligible voters do not vote, they have lost faith, if not hope. Something is wrong with this system. People should be able to vote for their member of parliament and their prime minister separately. This might just encourage people to run as independents and encourage third parties.
It is full time we change this system or quite soon we will have only the political bases voting and our politics will be reduced to violence and our country to shambles. Both political parties have exhausted their usefulness and the system is the cause of it. Jamaicans are forced to recycle these two parties every five years as the system dictates. We are running out of options. The people are growing impatient with this party-centric system and the clock is ticking, tick tick tick.
Ryan Russell
Brompton, St Elizabeth
ryanrussell577@gmail.com
The system makes politicians corrupt
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