Jamaican as awhole does not vote on issuses that affect our lives ,but just for the fact that their party win and dont care what happened after.Some will say from they were born they belong to certian party, others for bragging rights and catchie pharses like (high-up and manners)and so on .Jamaican need look at their situation and ask themsleves which party can help ease the burden we are under ;who will be
better for our future and by doing so we can let the politicans that we can change and no politican has a safe seat if he or she dont do their job.

The problem is there isn't a lot of choice available, so those Parties that have been around for a while take the masses for granted because nobody else poses a threat to them.

Jamrock,what you have said is so sad but so true. As far as i can see it will take a miracle to bring back our beloved Jamaica to at least half of what it used to be.
Because of the hard-time that many of us are facing, when someone comes to buy our vote regardless of the party we are going to sell it, and to the highest bidder of course.
We are caught between a rock and a hard place, we know it's wrong but sometimes we haven't got a choice; we have kids to send to school and we are not all fortunate to have a well paying job or have people abroad that can send us to western union every week. All i can say MAY GOD HELP US ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

God help those that help themselves. Parties been around for a long time give them no license to disregard the masses that put them in office or offices as the case may be. No miracle is needed niether, well meaning and caring for ones own people or the constituent is what is needed from the council people. If any politician is not doing what you put him or her in the office to do, then to hell with them and their, flours, cooking oil, bag of rice, VOTE TH BUMS OUT. It is an insult to pander to the poor folks and buy their votes when election comes.
This half-wits cannot use their political clout to help the suffering masses, the road, the police car, the school,and the flodding to name a few, of what use are they?. If the road repairs are attended to and kept up, it will be great, these infrastructures are worth more than all this bribes and so call gift when the election times comes.They are easily remembered and seen at election time rather the food that passes through the gut s and since forgotten. Wake up people, you pay taxes and vote, call your representative to act and stop the foolishness. Again does any of this powers-that-be's, read any of these raves and rants

Somebody in Parliment should be held accountable for some of the crime in Jamaica ,look at all the political Dons and gangs killing each others in the country ,someone in high rank has to know who they are and supporting them ,it is not something that is hidden, it is in the News Paper everyday.
The way in which we are govern need to be change ,there should be a performance rating for all elected Politican , if he or she can/nt propect and serve the people who elect them ,we should/nt have to suffer until the next for election ,he are she should be booted out.

Many of our people are still struggling with the mentality that glue them to one party or equally dangerous selling their votes. I concur with Dr O's Summation of the situation.

Just to add that education through the schools and community groups could play an integral role in sensetizing people to vote wisely and tell the polititians where to stick the money they have for bribes.

Here's another reality:
The moment any one of you railing against the politicians were to become a politician yourself, however well intentioned, you would end up being cussed like all the others who have gone before or who you would be joining.
I have never seen a politician who has not been abused and blamed for everything under the sun, including the rays of the sun, sometimes!

Realitycheck, I am of the view that when a person decides to take up public office it means that the spot light is centered around such a person's performance. This include the abuse of people's inability to make good judgements to promote their welfare in the long term. I will agree with you that sometimes people unfairly hammer the politician as the cause of all their woes. But the politician occupies a hot seat and this should be realized before the chair is taken. Giving bribes reminds me of the slave ships in a very unpleasant way. Much of the hardship in our country is compounded by the lack of education of our people. Politician are seen as influential people and I think the upright thing for them to do is to help the citizens to exercise their franchise in a prudent manner.Most certainly, that would be a bright start to any political mandate.

Native,
Rightly or wrongly, the poltician is always the easiest target.
Often we let off corrupt business people too easily. Yet, they are frequently the ones who induce the bad politicians with bribes in the first place.
I come back to my basic point, however; which is that, even when the politician has tried his best but is unable to deliver because of forces beyond his control, he will nevertheless be blamed for the failure, and, more often than not, is labeled as corrupt. Here is the agument: It must be that he stole all the money that should have been used to do the various projects why they did not get done.
If the politician fails to deliver on the expectations of the people, by all means, get rid of him and try someone else. But the fact that he failed does not make him necessarily corrupt!

We SHOULD blame the politician for corrupt practises because we elected him/her to protect our best interest; business leaders are not elected nor do they have access to the taxes that we pay to government for the provision of services. Citizens can only trust the justice system to take care of corruption in businesses. Politicians and statutary bodies, on the other hand, should be held accountable by voters; they should be held accountable by the justice sytem too, for wrongdoings. The situation in the country is extremely corrupt but it can only be improved if the bad people at the top are taken out of the problem bucket and become part of the solution.

What has happened in Jamaica ,is that most of the people has develop s stage of ACCEPTANCE where they support their party in whatever wrong they do or they remain silence ,we need to face reality ,we can/nt continue down this road,it is sad that we have to be so blind .
Most of the Taxes that are paid by people of the Rural area are filter out as contract work to the dons and the political gun men in the city.(well said Bobby)

I think that if people really had the country's best interest at heart, they would vote politicians into office that will work to make Jamaica a stronger country. It seems that most citizens as said before vote for whoever is running that represents "their political party". Some may disagree but I find this to be VERY ignorant! I also can't understand why people feel the need to force their views on others. We do not live in a communist country, therefor there must be more than one choice. I wonder if the people of Jamaica will ever get to the point where we can get along with our neighbors regardless of their political affiliation.....

(PUNISH POLITICAL PARTIES) News from the Observer,(4/12/07) its about contribution given to parties by oversea influence and criminal .Thank God someone with a voice has spoken ,even thou this is just a small part of what need to be address .I just hope they can create a (workable) mechanism that will inforce the law and maybe it will help reduce corruption and crime in Jamaica .THANKS to all of the above civic minded contributor for your meaningful imput .