She get di ting deh! - dem outta luck now

Congratulations to our new Prime Minister elect Portia Lucrecia Simpson Miller! Soon to be Jamaica's first female head of state.

Ms Simpson beat her chief competitor in the party's internal vote Dr Peter Phillips by over 200 votes. She received 1,775 votes, while the national security minister took 1,538 votes from a total of 3808 votes. Omar and Karl were a distant 3rd and 4th with 283 and 204 respectively.

Heh heh I suppose Karl never did return...at least not yet and KD!?... Raaah Raaah Raaah Raaah! (for those of you who don't know the song see the chorus).

I can't say I'm disappointed nor am I just merely indifferent to the whole thing but rather pleased. Up to a fortnight before the elections I was privately rooting for Peter Phillips to win. Why? Well why not. There was nothing that separated the two in my book. What? because she's a woman I should favour her on that basis. Don't think so. One's aptitude is not and should not be based on gender in this context. Instead I look at track record.

Why would I vote for a politician who consistently has a voter turn out of 110% in her constituency and was a protege of Tony Spaulding. Spaulding one of the fathers of modern day garrison politics when he was the Minister of Housing during the 70's certainly taught her a thing or two of how to 'persuade' her constituents to vote for her. Now don't get me wrong I know Peter is no angel himself but at least he only wins by about 80%!

Furthermore I was thinking that if Peter won Bruce would get a chance since Portia is the only other politician more popular than him. I mean 17 years of the same thing! Mi a get tyad a it now. Work 10 years in this country and yu struggle fi buy a house (maybe), go a Canada an within 3 years man a build im house...tsk.

But what if Bruce win? All his administration would be busy doing is repairing the damage. Forced to make unpopular decisions den get vote out, PNP back in power then the cycle starts over again ...circa 70s and 80s.

My Wish
So what then is the solution? I want a national alliance between the JLP and the PNP. How else is this country to move forward?

Leading up to the few days before the election one heard from the Peter Phillips camp the typical arrogance associated with the ruling party. Just to name some -

• "Tell Labourites to stay out of PNP business" - Peter Phillips
• KD Knight's (Phillips camp) disparaging comments about her not having a Phd. Remember what he called her at Gordon House when she abstained from voting last year re the fire services.
• Phillips while giving a speech at a womens gathering coming across as saying some jobs should be left for men.

This was what tipped me to the other side. I know that it wasn't anything new but as a friend of mine said recently, those who who are outside the party just want whoever would best serve the country to be the winner.

One gets the feeling that with Portia there would be a greater chance for National unity and greater cooperation between both parties. You nuh really get dat wid Peter. Di rasta inna im woulda 'bun' any ting fi do wid di 'Labourite dem'.

All the best Ms Prime Minister.