Democracy and Governance Exposed

“By voting, we add our voices to the chorus that forms opinions and the basis for actions.”- Jens Stoltenberg. The year 2024 will be quite interesting politically. In the first instance the year promises to be polarizing, especially given the pending US presidential elections in November as well as unpredictable, given the current wars involving Russia and Ukraine and Hamas and Israel. Of course there are other forgotten wars and social and political unrest such as those in Syria, Haiti, Libya, Ethiopia, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Yemen and Mali to name a few. Local Government Elections. In Jamaica, local government elections are constitutionally due no later than February 28, 2024. The local Government elections, which are constitutionally due every four years, were last held in November 2016. They were due to be held in November 2020 but were postponed as the country was still in the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic. Interestingly, a general election was held two months earlier, in September of that year. The ruling Jamaica Labour Party won nine of the Municipal Corporations, while the People’s National Party (PNP) won three. There was a tie in St. Thomas, with both parties taking five divisions. The Corporations won by the JLP include Kingston and St. Andrew (KSAC), Portland, St. Mary, St. Ann, Trelawny, St. James, St. Elizabeth, Clarendon, and St. Catherine. Those won by the PNP include the parishes of Hanover, Westmoreland and Manchester. Since then the Jamaica Labour Party has taken control of the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation with two former PNP councillors Myles and James crossing the floor. Jamaica is currently on an election watch given that the general elections are constitutionally due in just over a year’s time. US Presidential Elections. The 2024 presidential election will take place on November 5. This will be preceded by nominating contests in each state and territory. Those begin in January and end in June. The Republican and Democratic conventions will take place in July and August, respectively. Republicans will flock to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from July 15-18, 2024, for their national convention to formally select their party’s next presidential nominee. The Democratic National Committee has yet to decide on a location or dates for its 2024 convention. Despite concerns over his age, President Joe Biden age 81 years remains a strong frontrunner for his party's nomination. On the other hand, Trump at 77 is merely 4 years younger than Biden. It is likely that former President Donald Trump and Biden will have a rematch similar to their 2020 presidential election faceoff. In 2020 Joe Biden won 306 to 232 Electoral College votes. It is important to note that 270 Electoral College votes are needed for any candidate to win the presidency. We must be mindful that over 74 million Americans voted for Trump in the 2020 presidential elections. Trump’s base of supporters has remained unmoved even in the midst of his legal problems. On the other hand over 81 million votes were cast for Biden in the 2020 presidential elections. 14th Amendment. Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment prohibits anyone who has previously taken an oath of office (Senators, Representatives, and other public officials) from holding public office if they have "engaged in insurrection or rebellion" against the United States. As Trump’s legal woes mount, two states Colorado and Maine have decided to remove his name from the ballot citing the 14th Amendment concerns regarding the January 6, 2021 Capitol Hill riot. Of course, Trump’s legal team has indicated a challenge will be mounted. Intriguing both Colorado and Maine are viewed as blue states for the Democrats. Importantly, Colorado has 9 Electoral College votes compared to Maine that has 4. It is also very likely that other states might follow Colorado and Maine. This issue of the 14th Amendment will be settled by the US Supreme Court. In fact, the Supreme Court on Friday, January 5th, 2024 decided to weigh Trump’s Colorado ballot eligibility under the 14th Amendment. The pending ruling of the Supreme Court will not only address Colorado but any other state that might consider removing Trump from the ballot. Interestingly, Maine’s Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said, “while I am cognizant of the fact that my decision could soon be rendered a nullity by a decision of the United States Supreme Court in Anderson (the Colorado case), that possibility does not relieve me of my responsibility to act.” The US Supreme Court is seen as rather conservative and pro-Republican especially given its composition of Justices three of whom were appointed by Donald Trump. The three Supreme Court Justices appointed by Trump are Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett; these are the most by any president since Ronald Reagan. Reagan served two terms as president from 1981 to 1989. In a rather bizarre and inappropriate comment, Alina Habba one of Trump’s lawyer called on Justice Kavanaugh to ‘step up’ as she reminded him how the former president fought for him to be appointed to the Supreme Court. Habba’s comment can be viewed as a textbook case of quid pro quo both from those with and without legal training. Unfortunately, the US Supreme Court has become politicized in recent times more so during Trump’s presidency. What is obvious is that the 2024 US presidential elections will also be close. American voters cast 158 million ballots in the 2020 presidential election. Yet the winner was ultimately decided by about 43,000 voters across Arizona, Georgia and Wisconsin the states that carried President Joe Biden over the 270 Electoral College votes he needed to win the presidency. Notable Candidates. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, whose fondness for cultural clashes led him to declare his state as the place where “woke goes to die,” launched a bid for president in May 2023. DeSantis has said he is running to “reverse the decline” in America and to offer a new generation of leadership for the country. DeSantis, rose to national prominence during the Covid-19 pandemic. Florida was one of the first states to reopen schools, and DeSantis took measures to prohibit lockdowns, mask mandates and vaccine requirements. Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley launched her presidential campaign in February 2023, calling for a new generation of leadership in the Republican Party. Her campaign has heavily focused on economic responsibility, national security and strengthening the southern border. Interestingly, the Republican Governor of New Hampshire Christopher Thomas Sununu has endorsed her candidacy. If successful in the primary, Haley would be the first woman and the first Asian American nominated by the GOP for president. Tech entrepreneur and author Vivek Ramaswamy launched his outsider campaign for the presidency in February 2023, focused on combating “woke” ideology, exposing government corruption and ushering in a younger generation of voters into the Republican Party. Ramaswamy, 38, is the youngest candidate in the GOP field. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie announced his second presidential campaign in June 2023 at a town hall in New Hampshire, drawing stark contrasts with former President Donald Trump. Unlike other GOP candidates, Christie has touted his willingness to take on Trump directly, repeatedly hitting the GOP front-runner on his looming legal troubles and foreign policy, among other key issues. Christie previously endorsed Trump after dropping out of the 2016 GOP primary and served as a close adviser. It is noteworthy that most of the GOP potential nominees with the exception of Chris Christie have been guarded in calling out Trump. Perhaps, they are hoping that if Trump gets the nomination they can be his running mate for vice president. Voter Apathy. The increase in voter apathy in Jamaica and the Caribbean is concerning. The political attractiveness in Jamaica’s political culture over the years has lost some of its appeal as many voters do not see a huge ideological difference between both political parties. Clearly, this is not good for our democracy. In the 2020 general elections the overall voter turnout was approximately 37 per cent, compared to 48.37 per cent in the 2016 General Election. With the exception of the first general parliamentary election under Universal Adult Suffrage held in December 1944 when there was a 58.38 per cent turnout, the number of voters casting ballots had steadily increased, reaching 86.91 per cent in 1980. However, the numbers have been slipping since 1989. In 1983 there was a 29.49 per cent turnout in the general elections due to the boycott by the People’s National Party. The situation is similar in many Caribbean countries, which have either recorded small, yet steady, declines over the past five general elections or so, or have maintained turnout in the low to mid-50 per cent range. According to Dr Peter St Jean, a Dominica-born professor of Sociology at North Park University in Chicago, USA, governing parties do everything to remain in power, including “bending, stretching, and even breaking of rules and laws”, because politics is “the best job that most of them have had”. He said the governing parties refuse to undertake campaign finance reform because it gives them an unfair advantage, while they also are able to cling on to power by victimizing opposition supporters. Needless to say there will be implications for small developing nations such as those in the Caribbean regarding who sits in the White House as president. Undoubtedly, governance will be on the ballot in 2024. In the words of Henry Clay, government is a trust and the officers of the government are trustees; and both the trust and the trustees are created for the benefit of the people. Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. waykam@yahoo.com @WayneCamo © #governance #voterrights #democracy