AS WE approach the end of our first half-century of political Independence, there seems to be growing consensus that we have, somehow, lost our way as a nation striving for sustainable development. This newspaper, in a series of editorials, is calling for Jamaica to move in a new and different direction, away from unworkable paradigms.

Of course, I support that call. It has been the message of this column over these last 18 years. It is time for profound change.

Sixty-five years ago, we began a process where we put the future of our country into the hands of persons elected under universal suffrage. Prior to that, the only persons who could vote were persons with property, and the decisions taken in the Legislative Council largely suited them rather than the majority of the people.

Sixty-five years ago, for the first time, people who wanted to hold elected office had to appeal to the man in the street rather than to the man of property in his office. Votes were attracted no longer by promises of a good climate for business, but by promises of handouts to the masses, with advance payments of plates of curried goat and rice.

At the same time, electioneering was a costly affair, and even the most populist politician had to be underwritten by elements of the same business class which had controlled the electoral process before 1944. Cynics will say that nothing really changed, as campaign and political contributions made judiciously ensured that the interests of the elite would always be looked after.

No more puppeteers

In supporting The Gleaner's current editorial campaign for an end to business as usual, I, therefore, must call for an end to the process where the course of our country's affairs is determined by shadowy figures pulling the strings from backstage. The Gleaner's current editorial campaign speaks of a failure of our political leadership, and a failure of our civil service (which is supposed to be non-partisan) to stand up to their political masters; they are quite correct. But we need to add that the policy failures of the last 50 years have also been due to the failure of the Jamaican middle and upper classes who largely paid the piper and called the tune. There is no way that Government policy - from high interest rates to ignoring the environment - could have been pursued without the complicity of their private-sector funders.

Every plate of curried goat and every pork barrel was paid for by money obtained from the piper payers. In the early days of garrison politics, every gun given out and every round of ammunition was paid for by political donations from the private sector. The allegation is that situation has already changed, and that that sort of funding now comes from the drug trade. Those who pay the piper have now changed, and Jamaica is in danger of being deemed a rogue state, we are told. We were not being called 'roguish' when the previous set was calling the tune, and no one seemed to have a problem with it.

Transparency

Well, I support The Gleaner's call for change, but I don't want a return to the dark shadows of the past. Political parties will always need financial contributions, but the taint of corruption and the possibility of influence peddling must be removed from them. All political donations must be declared openly, and made public, so that if public policy veers suddenly in any particular direction, the source of the influence may more easily be detected.

And the accounting profession must be constrained to report these contributions on the balance sheets of the companies they audit, especially publicly listed companies. Shareholders have a right to know how their company's money is being spent.

Years from now, when the current Jamaican history that we are now making is written, this first 50 years of our Independence will be considered a dark period, characterised by corruption and ramshackle government. The Berlin Wall has come down, Nelson Mandela has been released from prison and apartheid has fallen, and a black man has been elected to the Washington White House; yet Jamaica's education system still produces illiterates, Jamaica's political parties still support garrisons and their dons, and Jamaica's environment is still being destroyed in the name of progress.

Where are we going to find a Gorbachev or a de Klerk to lead us out of this mess?

Peter Espeut is a sociologist and a Roman Catholic deacon. Feedback may be sent to columns@gleanerjm.com.