Demand a Stronger Democracy: “Don’t Take It for Granted”

Demand a Stronger Democracy: “Don’t Take It for Granted”

Prof. Dr. Trevor Munroe

(19 August 2025)— During the August 10 mass meeting In Half-Way-Tree, Prime Minster Holness celebrated Jamaica’s democracy exemplified in the crowd assembled in the square and in our people’s freedom to choose their government in the forthcoming election. The PM observed “there are many countries in which this cannot happen … do not take it for granted.” The same could have been said by Opposition Leader Golding before the crowd in Cross Roads, on August 16.

Absolutely correct – freedom of assembly and particularly free and fair elections were achieved by the Jamaican people through many “trials and tribulations”. We, the people, cannot take them for granted and we must defend these rights. This is the foundation on which the structure of our democracy must rest. But like any building, the democratic structure is more than its foundation – free and fair elections.

That foundation requires a particular scaffolding; infrastructure aligned to the foundation. Otherwise, on the foundation of free and fair elections, an authoritarian architect can build an autocratic structure, as is now happening in so many democracies in which “elective dictatorships” are now being established.

So, our leaders and citizens who cherish democracy must do all to preserve and to strengthen the foundation and not weaken the institutions, conventions and practice of free and fair elections.

Today and in the days ahead this requires us to seek commitments from those who seek our vote. We must demand in relation to:

• The ECJ – that the incoming parliament gives this critical institution the constitutional protection that was promised in the enacting legislation in 2006, 19 years ago. Without this safeguard, any government can use its majority to abolish the ECJ or to do what the present administration has done—namely, change the law to put the non-partisan character of the institution at risk, and doing so without consultation, despite widespread disagreement from the parliamentary opposition, the church, the private sector, civil society and the media.
  

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• The Office of the Political Ombudsman – that parliament restores its independence and separates it from the ECJ. Legislate the constitutional protection against parliamentary abuse promised 23 years ago when the law was passed. This independent office must be strengthened to recommend prosecution of those who breach the code of political conduct, many of the provisions of which must become law, in particular the incitement of violence in political campaigns and the partisan distribution of public resources.
• Campaign Finance Legislation – that parliament strengthens the legislation to, among other things, require disclosure to the public on a year-round basis who or which entity is donating “big money” to political parties. We the people must know who is “paying the piper” and can therefore call the tune.

In relation to ourselves that, however reluctantly, we must decide to vote. Use this right or risk losing its value as smaller, and smaller numbers determine who rule over us. We must never again allow, as happened in 2020, 21% of the electorate to determine who gets 100% of government.

We must combat in ourselves the feeling of not bothering to vote, a feeling that has been growing not only in Jamaica but across the globe. Many of us are seeing, “no betterment for me no matter whom we vote for” as voter turnout in all regions of the world is declining since the 1990s. More, and more people are experiencing that on the basis of majority votes, politicians are elected to become a law unto themselves, and use government primarily to benefit themselves, the wealthy minority and the well-connected. Alongside the strengthening free and fair elections, we must also demand that the supporting infrastructure from the JLP and PNP, who are now asking us to vote for them. Each party must make a commitment and be held accountable by us:

• Amend the Proceeds of Crime Act to institute “unexplained wealth orders”, a public commitment made on the eve of the 2020 General Elections by both Prime Minister Holness and then Leader of Opposition Peter Phillips. The commitment was repeated by the Holness government in the Governor Generals 2023 Throne Speech. Yet today law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies remain deprived of this tool to hold to account those who acquire over one hundred billion dollars annually of our national product by corrupt means.
• Pass impeachment legislation to punish MPs found guilty of misconduct or unlawful behaviour. This is a commitment in our 2009 Vision 2030 followed by draft bills by former Prime Minister Bruce Golding (2011) and current Leader of the Opposition Mark Golding (2021). A Don Anderson poll in 2023 tells us over 90% of Jamaicans support impeachment legislation.
• Preserve and strengthen, not abandon the law against “Full Illicit Enrichment” passed by the Holness government in 2017.
• Amend the “Gag Clause” in the Integrity Commission Act to set criteria to remove the absolute ban on telling us the people who is being investigated for corruption and reject the proposal to remove the auditor general from the Commission.
• Publish the summary of the statutory declarations of the assets, income and liabilities of MPs and not only that of the Prime Minister and the Leader of Opposition.
• Pass legislation to empower citizens in each constituency to initiate the right of recall of MPs and Councilors deemed guilty of misconduct or non-performance in the fulfilment of promises made. A Carl Stone poll in 1992 found 72% and a Don Anderson survey of 2023 found over 88% of Jamaicans supporting this right.
  

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• Resume the practice stopped in 2020 of quarterly publication by Ministries, Departments and Agencies of contract awards.
• Restore the convention initiated by the Bruce Golding government of Opposition MPs chairing sessional committees to probe operations of government.
• Implement the provision of the Public Bodies Management Accountability Act (PBMA) which allows prosecution of officials responsible for repeated failure to submit annual reports to Cabinet, to Parliament and to us the people on how our money is being spent by the public bodies.
• Recommit the Constitution Amendment Bill to the new parliament; but ensure amendment of the bill to establish “full sovereignty in the Executive and Judicial branches” (Vison 2030, 2009 page 121) in a Jamaican Parliamentary democratic Republic, to institute safeguards against executive dictatorship and to insert meaningful provisions for citizens empowerment. Substantial public education and citizen consultation must proceed the referendum to establish Jamaica’ parliamentary republic.
  

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We conclude not taking our democracy “for granted” means making demands on our political leaders; voting to strengthen the democratic foundation of free and fair elections; but also voting to strengthen democratic structure to safeguard against elected governments who use the vote to primarily benefit themselves and their cronies; ensure equal rights and justice for us the majority.

Our democratic elections must not be used to erect an “elected dictatorship”.

[Article by Dr. Trevor Munroe, CD, DPHIL (Oxford), Emeritus Professor of Government (UWI), Founding Director (NIA) also published in the Sunday Gleaner August 17, 2025.]

 © The Ward Post / Dr. Trevor Munroe