TODAY IS Nomination Day for the upcoming local government elections and we trust that it will pass peacefully. All parties need to act responsibly as the political dust has hardly settled since the general election and there is a renewed turbulence in the air.

It is commendable that the Government should seek to hold the long-overdue parish elections as quickly as possible. Delay can no longer be countenanced, especially given the dire situation of our rural communities. Many of them remain cut off from the rest of the country. Roads, bridges and homes have collapsed, making it difficult to get farm produce and supplies in and out. These punishing conditions require interventions at the local level and call for vigorous activity by councillors, Members of Parliament and government ministers. So far, there are few signs of this vigour from any level, and thus the opportunity for the citizenry to send a message to the representatives of both parties is a welcome one.

At the same time, the local government election will provide the Jamaican people the first opportunity to pass judgement on the new Golding administration. Given the spotlight which the Government has itself placed on the corruption issue and the recent sharp increases in the cost of living, the elections may well turn out to be a mini-general election. The developing controversy over the appointment of the Solicitor General and the confrontation with the Public Services Commission is only likely to intensify this national focus.

Some think this may be precisely the intention of the Government - to test the waters to see if it would be wise to proceed to another general election, sooner rather than later. Cognisant of the fact that it has only a slim majority in Parliament and that it is facing challenges to a number of its parliamentarians in the courts, the Government may well be thinking of going back to the polls for a clearer national mandate. Given the weakness and disorganisation of the Opposition People's National Party, this must be a tempting political opportunity indeed.

The question is whether this continued politicking is in the national interest. The economic situation has turned sharply negative and this demands the full concentration of government attention and resources. The condition of urban and rural infrastructure is grave in the extreme. The murder rate and the incidence of police brutality continue to spiral out of control. The new Government has yet to demonstrate that it is firmly in the saddle.

In any event, much as we would urge people to vote, the country is likely to see a very low poll on December 5. This may well be a way for the Jamaican people to send a message to both parties that they have had their fill of political divisiveness and that it is now full time to be about the country's business.