Today We Look At The Government of Jamaica- A Quick Flashback

Did you know that Jamaica is a constitutional monarchy and is a member of the Commonwealth? O yes Therefore, the Queen of England, Elizabeth II is the titular head of the country who is represented here by a governor-general.

The Jamaican Parliament is bicameral, meaning it consists of two Houses, the Senate, also called the Upper House, and the House of Representatives, also known as the Lower House.

The members of the House of Representatives are elected under universal adult suffrage, with a maximum of five years between elections (if it was up to me alone though, this period would not exceed three (3) years). There are 60 constituencies, each represented by one Member of Parliament.

There are 21 members of the Senate who are appointed by the Governor-General; thirteen are appointed on the advice of the Prime Minister; and eight on the advice of the Leader of the Opposition. The Senate functions mainly as a review chamber for legislation passed by House of Representatives.

The Cabinet is the main instrument of government policy. It consists of the Prime Minister and at least 13 other ministers of Government, whose membership is restricted to one of the two Houses of Parliament. Not more than four members of the Cabinet may be members of the Senate. The Minister of Finance must be an elected member of the House of Representatives.

The Local Government is structured on a parish basis, with two parishes, Kingston and St Andrew, amalgamated (sometimes refered to as the corporate area) and administered by the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation (KSAC). The island’s 60 constituencies are subdivided into 275 electoral divisions, each of which is represented by a Parish Councillor for Local Government.

Where did all of this begin?

Well, Local Government was introduced in Jamaica around 1662-1663, just a few years after the British capture of Jamaica in 1655.

The early form of Local Government was called the Vestry system, patterned after the form of Local Government that existed in England at the time. This name came about because a body called the Vestry governed local authorities. The Vestry of each parish was drawn from the lay magistrates and the clergy of the particular parish. These Vestries supported the clergy, maintained the churches, offered relief to the poor, maintained the few roads which existed at the time, and maintained public order.

The Vestries operated in the interest and for the benefit of the planter class. By the 1850s their rule had become corrupt and inefficient (talk about greed and power struggle). The system, which lasted lasted for 200 years, was abolished in 1866 following the Morant Bay Rebellion and was replaced by a system of Municipal and Road Boards, whose membership was nominated by the Governor.

The major changes, which took place in the Vestry system, concerned the number of parishes. In 1664 when the system was first introduced, there were seven parishes. By the time the system was abolished this number had increased to a total of 22. Law 22 of 1867 reduced the number of parishes to 14. (Wew, what a frenzy it was back then).

Elected representation was restored to Local Government in 1886 with the creation of Parochial Boards, which combined the functions of the Municipal Boards and the Road Boards. During the twenty-year period between the abolition of the Vestries and the establishment of the Parochial Boards, there was a significant increase in the responsibilities of Local Government.

Some of the functions that were extended to Local Authorities at that time were: Public Health in 1867; public markets in 1874; fire services in 1875; and water supplies in 1875. Later, abattoirs, building regulations, public beaches, sanitation and public cleansing and street lighting were added.

The parish structure created by Law 20 of 1867, the extension of functions during the period 1866-86, and the creation of parochial boards in 1886, all created the modern Local Government system that exists today.

I would like to leave with you one of the favourite poems of the late Honourable Luoise Bennett-Covereley, Jamaica's first lady of comedy, actor, activist.

This was written and performed in Jamaican dialect. Here it goes:

Me glad fe se's you come back bwoy,
But lawd yuh let me dung,
Me shame o' yuh soh till all o'
Me proudness drop a grung.

Yuh mean yuh goh dah 'Merica
An spen six whole mont' deh,
An come back not a piece betta
Dan how yuh did goh wey?

Bwoy yuh noh shame? Is soh you come?
Afta yuh tan soh lang!
Not even lickle language bwoy?
Not even little twang?

An yuh sista wat work ongle
One week wid 'Merican
She talk so nice now dat we have
De jooce fe undastan?

Bwoy yuh couldn' improve yuhself!
An yuh get soh much pay?
Yuh spen six mont' a foreign, an
Come back ugly same way?

Not even a drapes trouziz? or
A pass de rydim coat?
Bwoy not even a gole teet or
A gole chain roun yuh t'roat.

Suppose me las' rne pass go introjooce
Yuh to a stranga
As me lamented son wat lately
Come from 'Merica!

Dem hooda laugh afta me, bwoy
Me could'n tell dem soh!
Dem hooda sey me lie, yuh was
A-spen time back a Mocho.

Noh back-ansa me bwoy, yuh talk
Too bad; shet up yuh mout,
Ah doan know how yuh an yuh puppa
Gwine to meck it out.

Ef yuh want please him meck him tink
Yuh bring back someting new.
Yuh always call him "Pa" dis evenin'
Wen him come sey "Poo".

Hope you you are enjoying this blog,

Take care until we link-up again,

Michael

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