Dear Editor,
Has your paper ever been puzzled by the terminal indecision for the life of a government, even when you profit from it? Have you ever known persons whose lives were discombobulated or business turned upside done by the activities for a projected uncertain election day? Shouldn’t everyone let their views known to demand a change for a fixed election date?
Have your directors ever found themself in the position of wanting to support a member of parliament who is not in the political party they would prefer for Government? Shouldn’t they say so for transparency as purveyors of news?
Have you ever known people wanting to support a member of parliament who is in the wrong party — as far as they are concerned? Shouldn’t they do something about it?
Have you ever heard a members of parliament bemoaning the fact they are unable to provide adequate security, water, roads, or health services because only the prime minister and his/her Cabinet decide how the taxpayers’ money is spent? Shouldn’t something be done about it?
Have a look at how a prime minister is appointed to run the country for the next five years. It is at section 70 of the constitution. Essentially, the appointment is made by the governor general in his discretion as the Queen’s representative. The governor general is appointed by Her Majesty and holds office during Her Majesty’s Pleasure to be Her Majesty’s representative in Jamaica (section 27). This is wrong both in form and substance.
First of all, the form is disparaging of the people; such an important office as prime minister — the head of the Government in Jamaica — should be elected by the people and not selected by Her Majesty’s representative in Jamaica.
Secondly, the prime minister should not be selected by the governor general from among the elected majority members of the House of Representatives, in substance it subjugates the MP to the PM’s Cabinet drawn from the legislature for better or worse. It may be workable in Britain but not good in Jamaica where the MPs’ independence is compromised by an overlapping Executive. Here it is not only a recipe for mismanagement and corruption in governance, it is a constitutional irregularity for democratic governance where separation of powers between the Executive and the Legislative arms of government is sacred.
It is time to elect a prime minister separate from your member of parliament that can be done by a simple majority vote in Parliament. The situation is impatient for change. Otherwise, changes like the Caribbean Court of Justice we rely for equal rights and justice, will be presiding over an inherited, effete and ineffectual system of governance.
Frank Phipps, QC
frank.phipps@yahoo.com
Has your paper ever been puzzled by the terminal indecision for the life of a government, even when you profit from it? Have you ever known persons whose lives were discombobulated or business turned upside done by the activities for a projected uncertain election day? Shouldn’t everyone let their views known to demand a change for a fixed election date?
Have your directors ever found themself in the position of wanting to support a member of parliament who is not in the political party they would prefer for Government? Shouldn’t they say so for transparency as purveyors of news?
Have you ever known people wanting to support a member of parliament who is in the wrong party — as far as they are concerned? Shouldn’t they do something about it?
Have you ever heard a members of parliament bemoaning the fact they are unable to provide adequate security, water, roads, or health services because only the prime minister and his/her Cabinet decide how the taxpayers’ money is spent? Shouldn’t something be done about it?
Have a look at how a prime minister is appointed to run the country for the next five years. It is at section 70 of the constitution. Essentially, the appointment is made by the governor general in his discretion as the Queen’s representative. The governor general is appointed by Her Majesty and holds office during Her Majesty’s Pleasure to be Her Majesty’s representative in Jamaica (section 27). This is wrong both in form and substance.
First of all, the form is disparaging of the people; such an important office as prime minister — the head of the Government in Jamaica — should be elected by the people and not selected by Her Majesty’s representative in Jamaica.
Secondly, the prime minister should not be selected by the governor general from among the elected majority members of the House of Representatives, in substance it subjugates the MP to the PM’s Cabinet drawn from the legislature for better or worse. It may be workable in Britain but not good in Jamaica where the MPs’ independence is compromised by an overlapping Executive. Here it is not only a recipe for mismanagement and corruption in governance, it is a constitutional irregularity for democratic governance where separation of powers between the Executive and the Legislative arms of government is sacred.
It is time to elect a prime minister separate from your member of parliament that can be done by a simple majority vote in Parliament. The situation is impatient for change. Otherwise, changes like the Caribbean Court of Justice we rely for equal rights and justice, will be presiding over an inherited, effete and ineffectual system of governance.
Frank Phipps, QC
frank.phipps@yahoo.com