Daraine Luton, Sunday Gleaner Reporter

Jamaica Labour Party leader Bruce Golding walks through a crowd of supporters at the party's Belmont Road headquarters as the Labourites celebrate their first victory in general elections since 1989. - File

JAMAICA WAS at a cross-roads and voters were called upon to decide which road the country should take. There were two options: Either the electorate should 'change course' and vote in the Bruce Golding-led Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), or move 'full speed ahead' in returning the Portia Simpson Miller-led People's National Party (PNP) government to office for a consecutive fifth term.

Bishop Phillip Phinn, an adviser to then Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, was first to stoke the election fire that consumed the nation during 2007.

"Seventh Prime Minister, you will be elected in '07 to rule over a land with seven letters (JAMAICA), with 7x2 parishes, that has the seventh-largest natural harbour in the world," Phinn predicted on New Year's Eve 2006. As history would have it, this prophesy did not come to pass. Not only did Portia Simpson Miller fail in her bid to lead the PNP to victory, she also became the third Prime Minister who did not receive a mandate from the Jamaican people. She became Prime Minister in 2006 after wining the PNP's leadership race.

Seemingly guided by Phinn's prophesy, Simpson Miller, on July 8, announced the general election for August 27, which was seven weeks after the date of the announcement of the election. Hurricane Dean, however, subsequently visited, resulting in a rescheduling of the election date to September 3.

After 18 years in Opposition, the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) was strong on the change message. With Bruce Golding as leader, it wooed the electorate with promises of free education up to the secondary level, free access to health care, more jobs, and the pledge to reduce corruption in the public sector.

'Not changing course'

Dejected members of the People's National Party (PNP) from left: party general secretary Donald Buchanan (head bowed); vice-president Peter Phillips, and campaign director Paul Robertson listen as PNP president, Portia Simpson Miller, gives her post-election speech at the party's Old Hope Road headquarters in St. Andrew. - File

The PNP's campaign message, on the other hand, claimed the party had been doing an excellent job in governing the country. It admitted that some things needed to change but, otherwise, it was 'not changing course'.

After months of intense political campaigning, especially by the JLP, which spent more than a year campaigning on the road, Jamaicans delivered the verdict: The PNP had to go.

It was the narrowest election victory in the country's history. The JLP appeared on the night of the general election to have won the election 31 seats to the PNP's 29.

However, in subsequent recounts, the seat count was adjusted to 32-28 in favour of the JLP, with 3,000 votes separating the JLP from the PNP in the popular vote.

The PNP had gone into the election with 36 seats, but it lost nine. Among the beaten were government ministers Harry Douglas (South East St. Mary), Horace Dalley (North Clarendon) and Richard Azan (North West Clarendon). The PNP lost two seats in St. Elizabeth - South West and South East. They also lost Western Portland and Western St. Mary. Dr. D.K. Duncan was the lone gain for the PNP, winning the Eastern Hanover seat from Barrington Gray after a magisterial recount.

The constituencies of North East St. Ann and North East St. Catherine were also returned to the JLP - seats the PNP held briefly, after Verna Parchment and Abe Dabdoub had crossed floor.

Political Violence

Meanwhile, well woven into the year's political fabric were dogfights and the fear of political violence.

The year had hardly begun when then Commissioner of Police Lucius Thomas announced that he had intelligence that guns were being accumulated in some communities and the impending election could be marred by violence.

Political Ombudsman Bishop Herro Blair was kept busy with many reports of political intimidation and violence reaching his office.

But there was also bliss in the midst of the political happenings, with PNP young Turk Basil Waite marrying Imani Duncan, daughter of PNP veteran D.K. Duncan. That, however, was one of the rare, soft moments in an active political year. Another was Simpson Miller kissing JLP deputy leader Derrick Smith seven times.

Both the PNP and the JLP were on the offensive throughout the year, using the slightest chance to score political points. Then Finance Minister Omar Davies tabled a $380 billion budget in April, which analysts argued was coated with election candy and other goodies.

The JLP kept up the pressure on the 'Trafigura affair' - which involved a questionable donation to the PNP by a Dutch oil-trading firm employed by the Jamaican Government. As the general election neared, however, the PNP announced that it had returned the money to Trafigura, even though the party had not furnished the proof.

As if they sensed election victory, the Labourites, who had been around the country and back numerous times, turned up the temperature on its public-relations machinery. Simpson Miller was portrayed as a 'clueless' woman and the PNP as a government that had failed.

Flip-flopper

JLP leader Bruce Golding was portrayed by the PNP as a flip-flopper and a man who could not be trusted. His party trailed in The Gleaner-commissioned Bill Johnson polls until the eve of the election, when the JLP broke even, before edging to the front.

Many political analysts pointed to a dismal showing of Simpson Miller in a pre-election leadership debate against Golding, as well as the impact of Hurricane Dean, as the pivotal factors that contributed to the PNP's loss.

Throughout the campaign, the JLP targeted several key PNP constituencies, chief among them Central Westmoreland, where Russell Hammond contested the transplanted PNP MP Roger Clarke. The PNP veteran Clarke soundly whipped Hammond by a difference of 1,808 votes.

In Central Manchester, the JLP's candidate Sally Porteous forced the PNP's Vando Palmer to quit as challenger. Porteous, though, would not get the success she had anticipated with the return to active politics by Peter Bunting. The recently retired investment banker, despite his late entry, managed to turn the electoral tide and retain the PNP bedrock by just over 200 votes.

In South East St. Andrew, another PNP stronghold, Joan Gordon- Webley returned from the political wilderness and threatened to run Maxine Henry-Wilson into the ground. But the former PNP general secretary was too strong for her contender.

Lisa hanna wins seat

Perhaps one of the biggest eye-popping events of the election campaign was the entry of 1993 Miss World, Lisa Hanna, into politics. The former wife of Dr. David Panton, past president of JLP affiliate Generation 2000, walked into South East St. Ann and won a seat the PNP was in danger of losing. A PNP faction there had booted sitting MP Aloun Assamba, who they said was a non-performer.

The JLP's candidate Peter Fakhourie thought he had a chance, but when Hanna turned up the heat, he sounded like a loser, calling the PNP candidate a "fool" and a "duppy".

That was just part of the name- calling which characterised the campaign year. Joan Gordon-Webley referred to Portia Simpson Miller as "Jezebel"; PNP's general secretary Donald Buchanan called JLP's Christopher Tufton "Satan"; Roger Clarke called some Labourites "rapists" and "little bitches", and Golding, leaving little doubt that he was referring to Simpson Miller, said "people who want to dance must go work in a night club".

Properly nominated

Before the August 7 nomination day, the PNP had said that some JLP candidates were not qualified to run under section 20 of the Constitution as they had pledged allegiance to foreign states. Director of Election Danville Walker countered by stating that all JLP candidates were properly nominated.

And when the elections were over, Simpson Miller in her first outing as opposition leader said that "it was not over yet". Several PNP candidates rushed to court hoping to be declared victors. Several election petitions were served against JLP MPs. Petitions were served against Gregory Mair, Shahine Robinson, and Michael Stern.

Golding, in his post election speech had promised to build a government of national unity by working closely with the PNP. He, however, irked the Opposition party when he said at the JLP's annual conference in November that the PNP seems to be suffering from "intellectual depravity" and wondered aloud if termites were attacking the brain of the Opposition leader.

After approximately three months in government, Golding has been severely criticised for some of his actions. The PNP accused him of naming a large 18-member cabinet even though he had committed on the campaign trail to running a tighter government. Among the persons named in his Cabinet were former GraceKennedy senior executive Don Wehby, who left his corporate job to help the government and trade unionist Dwight Nelson. Both were sent to the finance ministry to help Audley Shaw.

At year-end, Simpson Miller was in the shadow of Golding as the most popular politician. She slipped from78 per cent in terms of favourability in 2006 to 41 per cent in December.

Local government elections

The JLP had hardly settled into central government when the governing party had to turn its attention to the business of the long overdue local government elections.

However, not before the PNP's Kern Spencer cried in Parliament after Energy Minister Clive Mullings had revealed that it had cost Jamaica more than $270 million to distribute free Cuban light bulbs under the previous administration. The Police Fraud squad, as well as the Auditor General and Contractor General, were called in to investigate.

Spencer said that his tears were not because of fear that he may be found culpable for the project but, rather, because he wanted a chance to defend himself in the House but was prevented from doing so by a senior party colleagues.

Spencer and Phillip Paulwell, under whose ministerial portfolio the bulb distribution had fallen, later resigned as PNP shadow ministers.

In the local government elections the PNP turned up a better showing than it did in 2003. This time around it won the parishes of Hanover and Manchester to go along with Westmoreland and the Portmore municipality. However, JLP 'mayor-in-waiting' Keith Hinds, dethroning George Lee as Mayor of Portmore.

The JLP, using the labour broom , swept municipal councils in Portland, St. Thomas and St. Mary along with St. James. The PNP secured a tie in St. Ann, while the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC) stayed with the JLP.

Before the legislative year ended, the JLP made sure it announced a 20 per cent pay increase for MPs; but while many parliamentarians are set to enjoy the benefits, Simpson Miller is adamant that the JLP has failed miserably at governance thus far.

Quite aware of the criticisms and challenges, Golding and his colleagues, despite pressure of inflation brought on by world oil prices, have set sail towards the New Year even with its seat margin in the House being threatened by court actions.

On the other hand, the PNP has said it is time the party begins the rebuilding process and many political watchers are of the view that Simpson Miller may be replaced as leader of the party.