Ian Boyne is so obsessed with his own 'rightness' on every issue that he has an opinion that on the latest one (the need for the People's National Party (PNP) to debate Prime Minister (PM) Bruce Golding), he has chal-lenged and taken to task the very newspaper for which he writes his missives.

Boyne dismisses an editorial comment and two letter writers who dare suggest that the idea of a debate between the government and the PNP is a waste of time. He should know that the debate was held more than two years ago and the people spoke, and the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) under the leadership of Bruce Golding was given the responsibility of governing.

The Constitution of Jamaica seems to call on the prime minister to do three functions and it does not include debating with the Opposition. These are:

a. The prime minister and every other minister shall, before entering upon the duties of his office, make before the governor-general the oath of allegiance and the appropriate oath for the due execution of his office.

b. The minister shall, so far as is practicable, attend and preside at all meetings of the Cabinet and in his absence such other minister shall preside as the prime minister shall appoint.

c. The prime minister shall keep the governor-general fully informed concerning the general conduct of the Government of Jamaica and shall furnish the governor-general with such information as he may request with respect to any particular matter relating to the government of Jamaica.

Issues and arguments

Debates have their place and one expects the academics, partisans, opinion makers, media personnel, private sector leaders, even the clergy, and an assortment of others so interested, to vigorously have such discourses to illuminate the issues and arguments, but the government must still govern regardless of such outcomes. How does the prime minister, debating the PNP, advance the goals of the ministry of education's effort to make education affordable and acces-sible to the school children of Jamaica? How does the need to have effective crime-fighting strategies get advanced by debates between the PM and the PNP?

Boyne opined that the "PNP can defend its record in Government far better than many JLP propagandists believe, and that Bruce Golding can adequately face up to some of the questions comrades believe he can't answer." If his desire for the debate he is calling for is to hear one party defend its record while the other face tough questions to demonstrate their abilities to answer such questions, then I would suggest that such arguments be laid out in position papers, white papers, and party manifestos and even opinion pieces to the newspaper.

Next election

More than two years ago, the PM won the only debate that mattered before the next election and now he must negotiate with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), find ways to reduce crime, provide leadership over the nation's finances, appoint ambassadors and do the things he was elected to do - that is, govern the country (with the assistance of his Cabinet). There could be debates until the cows come home, the government will not be relieved of its responsibility to govern.

I am, etc.,

SYLVESTER 'JIM' BOWIE

bowies@csus.edu

California State University,

Sacramento

California