Dear Editor,
Portia Simpson Miller is by far Jamaica’s most popular politician. However, her recent defeat at the polls suggests that voters are maturing.
Leaders like Simpson Miller can no longer win an election solely on charisma. She failed to realise that citizens are becoming more demanding of politicians, especially in this age of social media, when information is more accessible.
Portia Simpson Miller and others in her party were so confident in their belief that Jamaicans did not care about the issues, that they saw no issue in not participating in a national debate. Even when it became evident that the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) campaign was about national issues, the People’s National Party (PNP) refused to accept the changing environment.
There was even a glaring difference in how both parties approached their respective mass rallies. At rallies of the JLP, Andrew Holness and other speakers would seek to inform the masses about constitutional and economic matters. It was most satisfying to hear Holness explain to the audience why he thought the decision to hedge against oil prices was a bad one. However the mass rallies of the PNP were more like parties with unnecessary music and dancing. One speaker was also bold enough to declare that Jamaica was “PNP country”.
Although the JLP released two 10-ten point plans that gained momentum, with one aiming to improve the economy and the other to make the ICT sector competitive, the PNP continued to play politics by making outlandish claims about the ability of Holness to build his house in Beverly Hills.
But the biggest mistake of the PNP was to believe that Portia Simpson Miller could win the election solely on her popularity. Polls were showing as early as last year that she was running out of steam. Jamaicans did not appreciate the fact that, as prime minister, she refused to comment on important matters, but never wasted time in responding to critics. We also did not like the lack of accountability in her Administration.
Future leaders should learn from the defeat of the PNP that winning an election is not an award, but rather an opportunity to develop the country.
It would also suit the PNP to accept the fact that the “articulate minority” is growing and their diehard supporters are dying indeed.
Lipton Matthews
lo_matthews@yahoo.com
Portia Simpson Miller is by far Jamaica’s most popular politician. However, her recent defeat at the polls suggests that voters are maturing.
Leaders like Simpson Miller can no longer win an election solely on charisma. She failed to realise that citizens are becoming more demanding of politicians, especially in this age of social media, when information is more accessible.
Portia Simpson Miller and others in her party were so confident in their belief that Jamaicans did not care about the issues, that they saw no issue in not participating in a national debate. Even when it became evident that the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) campaign was about national issues, the People’s National Party (PNP) refused to accept the changing environment.
There was even a glaring difference in how both parties approached their respective mass rallies. At rallies of the JLP, Andrew Holness and other speakers would seek to inform the masses about constitutional and economic matters. It was most satisfying to hear Holness explain to the audience why he thought the decision to hedge against oil prices was a bad one. However the mass rallies of the PNP were more like parties with unnecessary music and dancing. One speaker was also bold enough to declare that Jamaica was “PNP country”.
Although the JLP released two 10-ten point plans that gained momentum, with one aiming to improve the economy and the other to make the ICT sector competitive, the PNP continued to play politics by making outlandish claims about the ability of Holness to build his house in Beverly Hills.
But the biggest mistake of the PNP was to believe that Portia Simpson Miller could win the election solely on her popularity. Polls were showing as early as last year that she was running out of steam. Jamaicans did not appreciate the fact that, as prime minister, she refused to comment on important matters, but never wasted time in responding to critics. We also did not like the lack of accountability in her Administration.
Future leaders should learn from the defeat of the PNP that winning an election is not an award, but rather an opportunity to develop the country.
It would also suit the PNP to accept the fact that the “articulate minority” is growing and their diehard supporters are dying indeed.
Lipton Matthews
lo_matthews@yahoo.com