The Epitome Of Jamaica's Political Violence

According to the Electoral Commission of Jamaica there were two major elections in the 1970’s. Firstly, the seventh General Parliamentary Elections was held on February 29^th 1972. The PNP won 37 seats with 69.8% of the vote and the JLP took 16 seats with 30.2% of the votes. The Right Honorable Micheal Manley became the fourth Prime Minister.

Secondly, in 1976 the eighth General Parliamentary Elections were held. Constituencies were increased to 60 seats. The PNP took 47 seats with 78.3% of the votes while the JLP won 13 seats with 21.7% of the votes. The Rt. Hon. Micheal Manley again became Prime Minister. This election was held during a National State of Emergency which Manley stated was necessary as a result of increased violence in the country. however many analysts believed Manley used the power of the state for devastating strategic and propaganda effect against his political opponent.

As stated by Williams (2011) in The Evolution of Political Violence in Jamaica 1940-1980, the 1970s represents an era marred by brutal political violence and the government’s inability to resolve the economic crisis. Both the JLP and PNP’s participation in political tribalism and politically motivated violence brought the credibility of Jamaican democracy and political practice into question. The competition between the JLP’s Hugh Shearer and later Edward Seaga, and the PNP’s Michael Manley for power is of pivotal significance to the evolution of political violence in the 1970s. This era gave rise to Jamaica’s most destructive partisan politics as local gunmen used terror tactics to disrupt the general elections.

This political behaviour was accountable for the death of nearly a thousand people as both parties viciously contested the 1976 and 1980 general elections. During Manley’s term as prime minister, there were a number of incidents that implicated his government in the perpetration of violence. One of the most egregious was the so-called ‘Green Bay Massacre’ in 1978 in which JLP supporters were allegedly set up, ambushed, and killed by members of the Jamaica Defense Force (JDF), presumed to be supporters of the government in power (People’s National Party). This incident served to portray the PNP as a force behind the violence and created distrust for the government among a growing percentage of the population.

So it was no longer viewed as a Jamaica Labour Party problem, fingers were now being pointed at both political parties. This issue of politically related violence is one that has remained over the years. And we see this being portrayed as recent as this year 2016, the year of Jamaica’s most recent General Election.

Please feel free to comment and share your views.