V-DAY:  Will it be celebration for ‘Sister P or the young PM Andrew?

By RICKEY SINGH
–in Barbados
‘TOO CLOSE to call’ was the central message last week of Jamaica’s leading pollsters for tomorrow’s parliamentary election battle between the incumbent Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and opposition challenger People’s National Party (PNP). However, that cautious scientific message could still serve to fuel the optimism of PNP’s leader and former short-term Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller, for her cheerful boast on Nomination Day,Dec.12 to “celebrate” her 66th  birthday on Thursday with a victory over the JLP, now under the new leadership of 39-year-old Prime Minister Andrew Holness.
On Nomination Day Simpson Miller, or “Sister P”, as  she is affectionately hailed by enthusiastic supporters, had chosen to demonstrate her physical fitness and sense of humor by engaging residents of her South West St. Andrew constituency in a race from Spanish Town Road to the nomination centre located at the Greenwich Town Hall All-Age School. It was her birthday.
Her nominees sang her “happy birthday” and the reputedly tough political “road runner” joyfully promised to put celebration on hold for election night when, as she expects, the PNP would be declared victorious over the JLP for control of the 60-member House of Representatives.
Since then, there have been variations in published pollsters findings on the fluctuating moods of the electorate—some gladdening the heart of the young, 39-year-old Prime Minister Holness and his JLP, others quite encouraging for Simpson-Miller and her PNP.
As Jamaicans continued their discussions about the political wisdom of the prime minister’s decision to test a seemingly popular embrace of his leadership qualities by calling a snap poll in the week of Christmas, there came the latest results from established pollsters that revealed a virtual neck-and-neck race between the two traditional election thoroughbreds, and one poll even suggesting a likely four percent edge for the PNP.

Crucial factor
A crucial factor, however, needs to be noted in the latest polls projection: they were conducted prior to an historic live televised debate—broadcast locally and regionally—between the JLP’s Holness and the PNP’s Simpson-Miller:
In that debate, for which Simpson-Miller had claimed victory over an apparent more cautious Holness, she may have also unwittingly created an unnecessary problem among her own supporters by courageously declaring willingness to amend legislation that discriminates against people based on their sexual preferences.                    
Specifically, this would involve repealing legislation that outlaws buggery and also used to shelter discrimination against people of same sex orientation. In a nation known for deep-rooted homophobic prejudices, such a declared intention by the PNP leader on the eve of this election could evoke disappointment and anger among potential voters. 
Now we have to await the outcome of voting tomorrow to learn if, indeed, that stand by Simpson-Miller, for which she has been editorially commended by a leading section of the Jamaica media (Gleaner newspaper), could affect her delayed “birthday celebration” to coincide with her optimism of the PNP’s return to government, after the current one-term for the JLP.
According to outspoken and influential Political Ombudsman and well known evangelist, Bishop Herro Blair, the PNP leader’s position on anti-gays law could well lead to same sex marriages and, as he told his congregation last Sunday, this is a matter that requires of them to ascertain the moral views of those seeking to be elected to parliament.
Nevertheless, in contrast to this unexpected political focus in Jamaica on same sex practices, an issue that remains controversial across the Caribbean region,  there have been some quite positive developments for general election 2011 in that CARICOM state.
For instance, as the Barbados ‘Daily Nation” noted editorially yesterday, under the title “Jamaicans in encouraging poll politics”:
“Whatever the final outcome in the battle for the House of Representatives, what will most distinguish the general election is a combination of factors that suggest healthy indicators of change developing in the body politic….”
It went on to point to the apparent consensus between the JLP and PNP to depart from political violence, that has been an ugly feature of elections for far too long, and which has contributed to the very welcome  significant behavioural attitudes of their followers—even in once violence plagued constituencies.
Further, that in publicly identifying themselves as campaign funders of both major parties, five prominent private sector entities may well have set a pattern for others in Jamaica and the rest of the region to emulate in a vital area pertaining to parliamentary electoral democracy.