Changing of The Guard: On Edward Seaga's Resignation

EDWARD SEAGA (Eddie, the Breeda, the one don, Mister "sing a sankey"), yesterday afternoon via a press release , announced he would be relinquishing his hold on the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) leadership at its annual conference in November this year.

After speaking to the many people I know who circle the political arena, I can safely say this comes as a shocker to most people. This ladies and gentlemen is the signalling of the end of an era(more like epoch), the ushering of a newing political fair, ladies and gentlemen hear ye hear ye... this day is the first manifestations of the changing of the guard. The Jamaican political landscape will no doubt see some sort of shifts.

The battle against the Peoples National Party and within his own party has seems to have taken its toll, the one army has been gunned down. The sudden revelation, after one too many publicized internal debates, internal squabbles and the creation of JLP member factions(the reformists, the G2K etc), seems to point to the real possibility that the man that has shown real fortitude and sticktoitiveness(to put it mildly) was forced by circumstances to put his guns to the ground and relinquish his badge.

The young pups have been nipping at his heels for too long now and no matter when he opted out of his role as party leader it was going to happen. There are bound to be endless post mortems in the coming days, this being one of them. The constant washing of dirty laudry in the public arena and media has been the JLP's undoing.

The questions that loom in my mind now are how will Mr. Seaga bow out... will there be fanfare, will he still be in the public spotlight, will he continue to make contributions to his party, and the questions go on. Personally I can't wait untill Sunday to see John Maxwell's take on the matter in the Observer. Beyond all said however Mr. Seaga's departure has granted the party the chance to patch up and come again and try to come good. They have been afforded the opportunity to alter how they are perceived and to alter Jamaica's political sensibilities.

And so when the final sankey has been sung, the candle has been out, the last market ooman wid ar scandal bag has sold her very last... the seeming end of an era.