Broken Promises, Again

Back in November 2009 I wrote a blog post titled “Where is the transparency?” (http://gleanerblogs.com/diasporaspeaks/?p=40) and in it, I started by quoting the Honourable Bruce Golding’s inaugural address at his swearing-in as Prime Minister of Jamaica:

“And what are going to be the priorities of our government? Transparency and accountability in government and the elimination of corruption”

With the new revelations about Mannatt, Phelps and Phillips this week, I can only assume that transparency is officially dead and Jamaica has not changed course from the culture of broken promises made by politicians, despite a new driver being elected.

Ernest Hemmingway said that “the best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them” and many Jamaicans have indeed trusted the current Prime Minister, even more-so some after his supposed apology that still left many unanswered questions. Why should anyone trust the individuals within the present administration who continue to attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of the Jamaican people?

There is no doubt that the rabid loyalists will make up another defense and the disenfranchised will ask how resigning will change anything because there is no one any better to take the place of the PM.

I say that it is PITIFUL if a country cannot do better than this when it comes to leadership at the highest levels and if we cannot really find better, then it is a strike against every Jamaican because we clearly have not been vocal enough that better must indeed come and come now. Prime Minister Bruce Golding has a chance to come clean in full, expose the dark side of Jamaican politics and set a course for a new and better era for Jamaica.

At some point, people will be able to read that in Jamaica, politicians were finally held accountable and sent to jail. Will it be within my lifetime?

–
David Mullings