Jamaicans turned off by politics

With election season heating up, one would expect lively debate in pockets of the society, and a sense of anticipation spreading across Jamaica.

Instead, some Jamaicans are tuning out, fed up with what they see as empty promises and self-serving politicians. When Opposition Leader Mark Golding took the stage to deliver his budget response yesterday, THE STAR took to the streets of Cross Roads and downtown Kingston to get the public's reaction; and the response was deafening silence. Few cared to listen to the debate, and even fewer believed that anything would change. Their indifference mirrors the findings of a December 2023 Don Anderson poll, which revealed that 37 per cent of respondents had no plans to vote for either of the two major political parties in the upcoming local elections.

For many, the decision to avoid the polling stations on election day is not out of lack of care, but frustration. At her small stall in Cross Roads, Sandra, a vendor, who has been in business for over a year, scoffed at the idea of casting a vote.

"None nuh betta dan the other! Mi cyaan even buy food, weh mi a vote fah?" she said.

"At the end of the day, it nuh matter who a lead because dem only care 'bout demself and dem friend dem, suh poor people aguh continue fi suffer nuh matter who in a power," she said, shaking her head and sucking her teeth in frustration.

Over at a nearby barbershop, 31-year-old Jerome waited for a trim, but when it came to politics, he had already made his final cut - he was done voting for good.

"God affi come before mi vote again because all dem politicians yah do a get richer and richer while poor people get poorer. Mi nuh care 'bout no plans dem have fi spend nuh money, because all dem aguh do a pocket it fi demself and wi nah see the benefit," he declared, as two other men in the shop nodded in agreement.

At a nearby corner, Michelle Simpson didn't mince words when asked if she followed the budget debate.

"Dem just a tell people weh dem wah hear. A dat dem always do when a election time - talk, talk, talk! Den as soon as dem win, dem forget all a dem promises until election time come again, then yuh see dem start do weh dem promise from way back when," she said, waving her hand dismissively.