Gordon Robinson | Time come to get the show on the road

Less than a month into Government’s new term JLP and PNP have already conspired to create another needless roadblock to constitutional reform.

PM began well with an open invitation to partnership at his swearing in ceremony. He said “Mark, let us partner together to complete the work we started in making Jamaica a republic”. Like 20 lawyers at the bottom of the sea, that was a good start.

But it’s beginning to look like Jamaica’s recurrent Opposition Leader (LOO) took those words to mean the two leaders would get together in secret and write a new Constitution together.

Sigh.

I opine this because, when PM followed up swiftly with a letter to LOO suggesting a meeting with the Minister currently in charge of Constitutional Affairs, Mark seemingly took offence and refused the meeting. Unfortunately I can’t quote PM’s letter verbatim because, in accordance with protocol, the letter wasn’t released to the public.

But Mark’s hissy fit in response was released to media. According to The Gleaner, that published Mark’s response in detail, Mark argued that PM’s proposal he meet with Chuck “will not initiate the required partnership of which we speak”.

Well, WE didn’t speak of any partnership. Andrew Holness did. Clearly Mark must have listened but not learned.

The Gleaner reported that Mark reminded PM “the Government does not now have a two-thirds majority in either House of Parliament…”

Eeeee heee now! Spanish Town!! Gotcha by the short and curlies!!!

The gratuitous lecture continued “…., further re-enforcing the imperative of partnership between Jamaica’s two major political parties if progress is to be made in reforming the Constitution.”

So Mark writes that “partnership” is “between Jamaica’s two major political parties” but wants only the leaders to immediately meet? It’s obvious to me Mark defines “partnership” as “do everything my way.” He characterises “partnership” as something that has an “imperative”. Imperatives tend to exclude co-operation or consensus.

Sheesh.

I saw them on the street

day in day out.

The feeling was too much to bear.

They passed me by

and I could see they never noticed

I was even there.

I guess, to her, I was just a nickel dime performance.

So now she feels that she must

go on to a better romance.

They took the show on the road.

Left me standing in the shadow.

Do these guys realise it’s not about them? Does either of them even see the rest of us standing by begging them to get on with radical governance reform? I guess, to them, We, The People, are just a nickel dime performance.

It’s entirely possible that PM’s missive was carelessly crafted so was taken by Mark to be an instruction for Mark to meet with Delroy. We shall never know because, appropriately, the actual words of PM’s letter aren’t available. But let’s suppose the letter included words to this effect: “I invite you to meet with the Minister of Justice to commence these talks”.

Yes, that would’ve been casual especially as PM knows he’s dealing with someone who appears anxious to be a crybaby about every real or imagined slight. But persons with experience in national leadership know that no summit between leaders begins with them meeting personally. It begins at a lower level where parameters of the leaders’ meeting are set.

Instead of seeming anxious to create every possible obstacle in order to try to gain political points five years before the next election, Mark could easily have responded naming the team he’d be sending to meet with the Minister. What’s the point of blocking a national non-partisan program because your nose is out of joint regarding the wording of a letter? Why cut off that nose to spite your and Jamaica’s face?

I’m not one to envy someone’s fortune;

someone else’s happiness.

But if I could I surely would exchange

and he like me would reminisce.

’Cause they’re running all over town

being seen in intimate places.

Running it in the ground,

smiling for the many faces.

And, rest assured PNP is the only political party that’s hurt by this silly blocking of the Road to Republic. JLP doesn’t really want significant constitutional reform. They definitely don’t want to abolish Privy Council. This attitude has been apparent over the last forty-five years and glaringly obvious in the last three.

It’s PNP that seems genuinely willing to reform the Constitution yet it keeps running all over town tripping over its own long tongue trying to turn the process into a race for a political prize. All JLP seems to want is to be able to blame PNP for delay in or even abandonment of constitutional reform. Mark Golding’s political and national naiveté is handing JLP exactly what it wants on a gold(ing?) platter by gumming up the works.

JLP could not care less!

Well it wouldn’t hurt so bad

if everybody didn’t know it.

But they act like they’re on stage

and stand before the world to show it.

They took the show on the road

Left me standing in the shadow

They Took the Show on the Road was a massive hit in Jamaica for Fantastic Four (not THE Fantastic Four who are Reed Richards; Susan Storm, later Mrs. Susan Richards; Johnny Storm; and Ben Grimm) but not elsewhere. The group was formed in 1965. Its biggest hit was The Whole World is a Stage for Ric-Tic records in 1967. They were Ric-Tic’s biggest selling act then recorded for Motown after it bought Ric-Tic. But it wasn’t until they signed with Westbound Records that They Took the Show on the Road was released in 1976. For me it’s their best effort. “AI Overview” says the songwriter was Alvin Stone but my 45rpm record credits A. Hamilton. So be careful of “AI”. There’s already enough artificial intelligence in human form, especially in Washington D.C., for us to swallow a computerized version whole.

Original Fantastic Four members were “Sweet” James Epps (leader); Ralph and Joseph Pruitt (brothers); and Wallace “Toby” Childs. By 1976 the group had become Epps, Joseph Pruitt, Cleveland Horne and Paul Edward Scott.

Does PNP not realize there are issues of governance it urgently wants improved but it won’t achieve that noble objective except these issues are subtly inserted into constitutional reform talks? Bullyriding and tantrums born of sore loser syndrome won’t cut the mustard. For example, PNP (and most well thinking Jamaicans) want to return to the Bruce Golding initiative of appointing Opposition MPs to chair all Parliamentary Committees. This could easily have been accomplished as an agenda item at the preliminary talks. Or Mark could’ve asked for it (privately) as a prelude to constitutional reform talks. Or ask to meet PM to discuss this one matter before arranging a meeting with the Justice Ministry.

ANYTHING but that impatient, imprudent, insolent, inflexible epistle!

A seasoned, mature political leader, not craving contention or attention, would take a more strategic approach. Instead, Mark showed PM a political middle finger and used a media megaphone to “tell on Andrew” to Mommy. Seven days later, Government bulldozed Parliamentary Committees’ re-appointment all chaired as before. The Opposition bawled and complained from across an aisle that its Leader had firmly barricaded by his September 30 letter. So that’s one potential governance improvement that PNP petulance has tossed into the trash. I don’t have the space to set out all the ways Mark could’ve achieved PNP objectives without a churlish refusal to meet. I thought the advent of Bruce Golding and Portia Simpson-Miller to party leadership had rendered the Seagaesque “my way or the highway” style of politics redundant. Apparently not!

Time come for PNP to stop creating unnecessary conflict especially regarding the constitutional reform process. Get with the program. Understand you’re not in charge but that your input is essential. Time come to stop the puerile polytricking and get the constitutional reform show on the road!

Peace and Love.

Gordon Robinson is an attorney-at-law. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com