Postlapsarian PNP: After the fall from grace

Friday, September 28th, 2007

The recent general election in Jamaica was a close run between the People’s National Party, in power for 18 years, and the Jamaica Labour Party. While at least one of the sixty seats remains to be decided by the courts, the JLP still managed to squeeze past the incumbents with a four-seat majority.
Politically motivated violence [...]

Jamaica rundown

Friday, March 9th, 2007

The opening match of the Cricket World Cup (CWC) 2007 takes place on Tuesday 13 March, at Sabina Park, here in Kingston. Throughout the last year, the complaints and criticisms of the organization of the event have dominated all discussions about the World Cup — lack of Internet access for pre-booking tickets, closure of public [...]

One step forward, two steps back

Wednesday, March 7th, 2007

The first item on the 8 o’clock news on CVM TV this evening was the parliamentary committee debate on the Offences Against the Person Act, in particular, marital rape. This might seem like old news in other parts of the world, but here in Jamaica, there remain laws left over from Victorian times that are [...]

Crossing the floor

Friday, February 2nd, 2007

The following is loosely based on a recent local political drama. I’m not going to give any clues because those who recognize it, don’t need them, and those who don’t should be grateful they didn’t witness it.

“What do I look like?” he asked the TV.
With no reply forthcoming, he groaned, “Lord God!”, his head sinking [...]

Indignant from Arcadia

Thursday, January 11th, 2007

I wrote a letter to the Jamaican Gleaner newspaper about an article in yesterday’s edition by Dr Phillip Phinn, prophet and confidant of Jamaica’s Prime Minister.
Why does the Gleaner (10 January) continue to allow “Prophet” Phinn space in its paper for his absurd and pointless ramblings? First he claims divine Christian inspiration in the number [...]