Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness won his first general election as leader of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) on this day, February 25, five years ago in 2016. He served briefly as prime minister back in 2011, succeeding Bruce Golding but, on that fatefully day, he secured political power for his party while still remaining the youngest prime minister in the country’s history.

Today, he is faced with a challenge and a turbulent situation never encountered before by any of his predecessors – a global pandemic that has transmuted from a health crisis into an economic crisis. What he does over the next several months will forever define his legacy.

Will he crumble under the weight of pressure and missteps or will he be triumphant, guiding Jamaica out of this time of pestilence and into a brighter, more prosperous future where Jamaican citizens and their children can thrive? There is a lot at stake and his leadership abilities are being carefully scrutinised.

Back on that February evening in 2016, with a 48 per cent turnout, the JLP won 50 per cent of the vote, securing 32 of the 63 contested seats. It was one of the closest general election races seen by the country with a 44-year-old Holness able to get his nose in front and win the day.

It heralded a new beginning for Jamaica with a leader born after Independence. His victory held the promise of a new vision for the country that was again subjected to an austere IMF programme.

“We will grow the Jamaican economy. We will create jobs. We will give you an accountable and responsive government. Our mission is to move Jamaica from poverty to prosperity,” Holness announced joyfully.”

He also promised to create 250,000 jobs at a time when the PNP had left an unemployment rate of 13 per cent and made it his goal to do away with income tax for low wage earners.

Over the last five years he has remained committed to finding ways to deliver  more prosperity to Jamaicans, beginning with extricating the country from the IMF’s US$1.27-billion bailout package.

He sought a more collaborative approach with the private sector and looked to generate aggregate demand. Like many developing countries seeking to make the move from third world to first world, he underwent an intensive infrastructure programme with new roadways and highways.

There can be no doubt that Andrew Holness has grown in stature over the years. His comportment is better, his communication skills are vastly improved and his vision for the country is well received. He has struck a chord with the younger generation who think well of him and he is able to easily relate to them, something Bruce Golding, Portia Simpson Miller and Dr Peter Phillips weren’t quite able to pull off. That right there is political currency which paid off in the most recent general elections of September 2020.

HOLNESS BROUGHT HOPE ALIVE

Seeing is believing. Over the last five years, Jamaicans saw much construction activity taking place and more cars on the road- both indicators of an economy making progress. Jamaicans under 40 cannot recall with clarity the beleaguered time of PJ Patterson and Dr Omar Davis with hyper-inflation and hyper-interest rates when Jamaica was under the yoke of the IMF. Over the last five years, a generation has been able to buy fancy cars and apartments, go to the north coast on the weekends, drink lattes at Starbucks, buy shares and participate in the best performing stock market in the world. Hope was indeed alive with this prime minister.

Buoyed by this, the Government proclaimed that it could attain economic growth of five per cent for every year over the next four years – 5 in 4. Looking back, that was a bridge too far and Holness should perhaps have been a little more circumspect.

His exuberance could have been forgiven if Jamaica got somewhere close to that but in fact during that time the economy grew by less than one per cent for each of those years. Holness’s detractors will use this to diminish his efforts, of that you can be sure.

Enjoying the goodwill of your people is dynamite to any politician and Holness continued to do so. No one in the party has attempted a putsch for to do so would be committing hari-kari. Let’s be clear, Holness is the winning ticket for the JLP and those with ambitions to lead the party will have to wait for some time. One gets the impression that Andrew has the smarts not to be derailed or allow anyone to come up on his flank.

Perhaps his closest rival would be Dr Christopher Tufton, a very capable operator who continually scores highly in performing ministers’ popularity polls.

The prime minister’s wife, Juliet, can point to her own political successes and she continues to be both a fantastic partner and ally to him, one who definitely has his back. With both of them being accomplished, it sets a fine example to the country of what a good union can be and can contribute to national service. Again, this is a first in the country’s history.

Andrew may be reticent in appointing his wife to a senior position in the Cabinet for fear of accusations of nepotism, nevertheless she would be a hardworking and results-oriented government minister. In his heyday as one of the most successful US presidents, Bill Clinton consulted with his wife, Hillary, even giving her a senior position, and told the country it was getting two for the price of one. Why not the same deal with Andrew and Juliet?

GOOD LEADERS MUST ASSEMBLE COMPETENT TEAMS

Speaking of Cabinet, a good leader must possess the art of assembling a competent team made of diverse elements and Holness has done so. As a young prime minister, he could have discounted the older party faithful stalwarts, opting for youth and dynamism, but he didn’t. 

He sought the wisdom of old soldiers like Mike Henry, Pearnel Charles, Karl Samuda, Delroy Chuck and rewarded them for their loyalty. He allowed them to bask in the sun before the coming of the evening. Let’s not forget Alexander The Great relied on his father Phillip’s old general Parmenion during the campaign in Persia.

As time has gone on, he has refreshed the Cabinet, bringing in one of the brightest minds in the private sector, Dr Nigel Clarke, who does not see finance and the economic management of the country from the gimlet eyes of a politician.

Then, there is the embodiment of diplomacy itself, Kamina Johnson, who couldn’t put a foot wrong, even if she tried.

Contrast her with Mr Fixit himself, the resourceful and irrepressible Daryl Vaz.

Then he can call on the jurisprudence of the urbane Delroy Chuck. Fayval Williams has distinguished herself in any portfolio given to her, while Horace Chang has and remains capable and dependable.

Tufton is a man of considerable abilities and has distinguished himself in any ministry he has headed. He may very well be the Dr Peter Phillips of the JLP in that regard.

Holness has also brought in the young turks and given them an opportunity to shine and earn the right to hold a seat at the highest levels of government.

Floyd Green is a bright young man and has hit the ground running at the Ministry of Agriculture. One gets the feeling that he will be one to watch over the next few years.

Matthew Samuda has proven to be an asset to the party and is more than a capable wing man to Dr Horace Chang at the Ministry of National Security. His star is on the rise.

Then there is Pearnel Charles Jr, making his old man proud, getting his head down and the job done. Robert ‘Nesta’ Morgan is a man born for politics and may very well prove to be Andrew Holness’ very own Alaistair Campbell. With Youth and Education, he has been given space and opportunity to showcase his talents.

The digital age is where Holness wants to drag Jamaica – kicking and screaming if he has to. He has insisted that Jamaica must become part of the fourth industrial revolution and cannot be left behind. He aims to make Jamaica the Silicon Valley of the Caribbean and is determined to see to it that NIDS legislation goes through.

A 21ST CENTURY PRIME MINISTER

Andrew Holness is undoubtedly a 21st Century prime minister looking to take his country to the next level of its development, but he must also pay attention to a number of pressing social issues.

Successive prime ministers have failed to tame the monster that is crime that bedevils the country. He has to impress upon Jamaicans that they have to treat each other better and that lawlessness, selfishness and anti-social behaviour are not traits to be lauded or coveted. He has to leverage the cache of his ‘Brogad’ sobriquet to direct young people away from leading a dissolute life defined by criminal activity.

No country has made significant advancements where law and order does not prevail and where rampant crime against its people goes unchecked and is allowed to insidiously pervade the national culture.

The states of emergency (SOEs) are not the solution, just a temporary panacea and he must act fast to address Jamaica’s lawlessness if his dream is to come true.

He must not allow himself to be overwhelmed by COVID-19. He has to preside over economic recovery. The next year will be very tough and you can see why he called the general election in September. He has to suck on the bitter pill now in order to rebound from the malady and give himself an ample runway into a third term – the holy grail for many political leaders who more often than not stumble in seeking it.

Can he do it? Read my next article. The wife will be ringing me soon, making sure I get indoors before the curfew.