Jamaica Gleaner
Published: Friday | November 20, 2009
Home : Letters
Unfortunate tribal politics
The EDITOR, Sir:

The malignant sore of tribalism continues to bring discomfort to the Jamaican "body politic". Some of us will forever see ourselves as belonging to one tribe or the other and "not even God can change wi".

The reported antagonism of Labourites at last weekend's party gathering to Burchell Whiteman representing Jamaica - not the People's National Party (PNP) or the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) as high commissioner to London reminds us that old habits die hard.

It is to Prime Minister Golding's credit that when he invited Whiteman to represent Jamaica in London, he was not concerned that he was the former general secretary of the PNP. Instead, Golding was confident that Whiteman would have the integrity to serve his country faithfully and well.

In the demanding post of high commissioner to London and the far reaches of Britain where the Jamaican diaspora is to be found, if Whiteman had conducted himself with partisanship or engaged in other acts of inappropriate behaviour, we'd certainly have heard loud and clear by now. It is a pity that the information had not gone down the line to the grassroots who might have come to the realisation that not every one lives by being tribal.

It is of note that Karl Samuda sought to defuse the tension with the explanation to the party adherents that, in Whiteman, Golding had been well pleased, for he had done his job well. It would have been useful, however, also to alert the current owners of power to the fact that not every one in Jamaica is a political opportunist and tribalist, a sensitivity which the prime minister demonstrated when he asked Whiteman to represent all, not some of us.

I am, etc.,

JAMAICAN FOR UNITY

Kingston 5

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