Country report: Spotlight on Jamaica

Some basic facts

Capital: Kingston
Population: 2,728,000 (2008)
Joined Commonwealth: 1962
GDP per capita growth: 0.8% per annum (1990–2006)
Official language: English
Time: GMT minus 5 hours
Currency: Jamaican dollar (J$)
Last elections: September 2007
Next elections: 2012
Head of State: HM Queen Elizabeth II, represented by Governor-General Sir Patrick Linton Allen (2009-)
Head of Government: Prime Minister Orette Bruce Golding
Ruling party: Jamaica Labour Party
Independence: 6 August 1962

What is the recent political history in Jamaica?

Due to ill health, Michael Manley retired as prime minister in March 1992 and was succeeded by P J Patterson, who led the People’s National Party (PNP) to another victory at elections in March 1993. The PNP won 52 seats, the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) eight.

Jamaican politics was preoccupied with economic and security issues during the 1990s and this resulted in a high incidence of strikes, with all parties favouring economic liberalisation. The strict control on spending of the PNP government cost it popularity in the mid-1990s; however, the JLP also had problems. In late 1995, the party split, leading to the creation of a third party, the National Democratic Movement (NDM), headed by Bruce Golding, former chairman of the JLP.

New measures to combat electoral fraud were instituted in 1997, following complaints after the 1993 elections. By August 1997 a new electoral roll, replacing the 1991 list, had been drawn up under an Electoral Advisory Committee with equal representation of the JLP and PNP.

The ruling PNP won a resounding victory in the general election in December 1997, and Patterson continued in office as prime minister. The poll had been relatively peaceful and the international team of observers led by former US President Jimmy Carter judged it free and fair. With 56% of the votes the PNP took 50 of the 60 seats in the House of Representatives, while the JLP received 39% of the votes and took ten seats.

The government pressed ahead with economic reforms, raising taxes and containing public expenditure, in the face of building public protests. On the announcement in April 1999 of increases in taxes on petrol, motor vehicles, cigarettes and alcohol there was an outbreak of violence, initially in the capital but spreading throughout the country.

After a violent campaign, the general election in October 2002 was largely free of violence. In a closer-fought contest than in 1997, the PNP won an unprecedented fourth successive victory with 34 seats and 52% of the votes and Patterson was returned as prime minister. The JLP took the remaining 26 seats.

In September 2003, Patterson said that he wanted Jamaica to become a republic before 2007 when his government’s term of office was due to end. Following his return to the JLP in 2002, in 2005 Bruce Golding succeeded the party’s veteran leader Edward Seaga as party leader; Seaga had been leader in government and opposition for 31 years.

Professor Kenneth Hall succeeded Sir Howard Felix Cooke as governor-general in February 2006 and Portia Simpson Miller succeeded Patterson as prime minister when he retired after 14 consecutive years in office in March 2006.

In the September 2007 general election, the opposition JLP, led by Golding, won a narrow victory with 33 seats and 50.1% of votes, while PNP took 27 seats and 49.8%. There was a 60% turnout.

Dr Patrick Allen succeeded Sir Kenneth Hall as governor-general on his retirement in February 2009.

How does the Commonwealth Secretariat help Jamaica?

The following articles describe some of the Commonwealth’s projects, which aim to assist this Caribbean country.

· Senior Jamaican officials examine the nuts and bolts of PPPs

Three-day workshop looks at what is needed to ensure that these “often complex relationships” work effectively 

· Profile: Donna Koolmees, occupational therapist

Inspiring ability in young Jamaicans with disabilities

· New network set to help entrepreneurs in the Caribbean

Facilities and training are among benefits offered to those with new or potential businesses

· Internet pornography, hacking and fraud probed in Caribbean

Prosecutors and police across 15 countries receive Commonwealth-funded ‘high tech crime’ training

· Commonwealth to assist Jamaica in maritime boundary negotiations

Agreed boundaries will be important for future management of natural resources such as oil and gas

· Banking on a better future

More than 1,000 students from the Caribbean have been trained to manage their finances more effectively 

Case study (2009): Advancing democracy and good governance from the grassroots upward

Sharing wisdom on local governance with Caribbean countries

Winston Cramer sees his Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation (CFTC) posting as all about “knowledge and the sharing of experience” in good governance, says the Guyanese expert, who was posted to Jamaica in July 2007 for a two-year assignment as a local government adviser to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), working on the Caribbean Forum of Ministers.

Collaborating with other agencies in the region and the Commonwealth Local Government Forum, the Caribbean Forum aims to underpin regional democracy by strengthening local governments in the area.

Mr Cramer’s task has been to establish a Regional Policy and Co-operation Framework on Local Governance and Local Democracy, ultimately enabling the Forum to carry out its mandate of enhancing local government, promoting participation by citizens and improving community development in the Caribbean.

He helped to secure funding through the Canadian International Development Agency, then mobilised a Technical Working Group of local government specialists. Meanwhile, overseas organisations were drafted in through the International Advisory Group, and long-term links set up with bodies such as the CARICOM Secretariat.

The regional policy could not be established without the full participation of the Caribbean countries – Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago. Therefore, over just five months in 2008, Mr Cramer co-ordinated two regional and 17 national consultations, ensuring all relevant groups were fully involved and ministers responsible for local governance in the region took part.

Now completed, the Regional Policy and Co-operation Framework has been endorsed by six member countries of the Caribbean Forum of Ministers and it is already being used to guide local governance reforms.

“The regional policy is also used as the basis for the development of long-term intervention in local governance development in the Caribbean,” Mr Cramer explains. “Other related achievements include the establishment of linkages between the Caribbean Forum of Ministers, CARICOM and the donor community, as well as increasing collaboration between local government stakeholders at the national, regional and international levels. This will facilitate experience and information sharing and networking, which will promote greater collaboration and cohesion in the implementation of policies and programmes.”

Mr Cramer advises ministers on a country-by-country basis on the decentralisation and reform initiatives in their respective nations. He has also designed a survey instrument to assess the status of local governance in the region. The instrument was completed, with the information compiled and analysed, by local government officials from the respective countries in the region.

Mr Cramer shares his experience with local staff, helping to build up their skills. “Local staff working on the project are exposed to regional local governance issues. They can identify similarities and differences in local governance systems, as well as reform and development issues in the Caribbean,” says Mr Cramer. “Their active participation in organising and implementing various activities and projects on local governance will expand the scope of their experience.” He adds that staff members have also learned about project management and development techniques through a flagship project, Enhancing Local Governance for the Caribbean.

His long-term involvement with Commonwealth projects has led Mr Cramer to value the CFTC’s provision of “skills and expertise that may not be readily available”, while he appreciates that the projects are “always guided by sustainability”.

“This assignment has provided me with rich, rewarding and memorable experiences,” says Mr Cramer, who previously served as Deputy Director and Programme Manager with responsibility for local governance at the National Democratic Institute in Guyana.

For more information on Jamaica, click here

Key Links:

• Country Profile: Jamaica