Why are some Jamaicans worried? · Global Voices

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Screenshot of Jamaican dancehall DJ Vybz Kartel (left) and Accompong Maroons leader Richard Currie (right) on stage during the opposition PNP party congress in Kingston on September 15, 2024, taken from this YouTube video posted by Humans of Jamaica.

Once a year, each of Jamaica’s two main political parties holds a major conference at the National Stadium in Kingston, which is partially open to the general public and the media. These events draw thousands of supporters in an excited and festive atmosphere, with stirring speeches — and on September 15, it was the turn of the opposition People’s National Party (PNP) to mobilize its supporters and outline its policies.

While party conferences always attract a lot of attention, this one generated an unusual amount of commentary and controversy. While music—particularly popular dancehall tunes—has always played a major role, with relevant lyrics interrupting speakers’ presentations and heightening the excitement, the audience erupted in applause and partially flooded the stage when dancehall DJ Vybz Kartel (real name Adidja Palmer) appeared. Kartel was released from prison on July 31 after serving 13 years for the 2014 murder of Clive “Lizard” Williams.

After a 65-day trial, Kartel was initially sentenced to life imprisonment with no parole for 35 years. The sentences were appealed in July 2018, but were upheld by the Jamaican Court of Appeal in 2020 — but the UK’s Privy Council, still Jamaica’s highest court of appeal, quashed the sentences on the grounds of jury tampering and the case was sent back to the Jamaican courts, which decided not to hold a new trial.

PNP Secretary-General Dayton Campbell welcomed the DJ and his entourage — which included Chief of the Accompong Maroons Richard Currie and Kartel’s prominent lawyer Isat Buchanan (also the son of veteran DJ Big Youth) — to the stage. Kartel, who has been wearing bandanas in the party’s signature orange color since his release, repeatedly raised his hand in the PNP’s clenched fist salute as his songs were played. Buchanan also declared his support for the PNP.

Chief Currie, himself a controversial public figure, declared his support for the party on behalf of all Maroon communities in Jamaica. The Maroons are descended from former slaves from Africa who escaped and fought to retain their freedom. While noting that Maroons had been involved in politics in the past, the chief of the Moore Town Maroons said that Currie was not necessarily speaking for all Maroons on this occasion.

Of all the personalities who took the stage, Kartel was the most striking. Over the course of his career and during his imprisonment, he has built a loyal following, and some PNP supporters see him as a useful political ally in attracting the votes of the youth.

Whatever the political motive, influential commentators on X (formerly Twitter) expressed shock and condemnation at the move. While Palmer’s fans claim he is innocent, many Jamaicans claim he was released “as a formality.”

Columnist and lawyer Gordon Robinson argued:

In a tirade on radio and YouTube, influential talk show host Cliff Hughes suggested that the PNP’s motive was to “win and win at all costs.” He noted that “the middle class has already abandoned the political process” and that this incident will further alienate them, and he described the PNP as “politically desperate” and inexperienced. Hughes also quoted former Culture Minister and PNP member Lisa Hanna, who has spoken out against violent dancehall lyrics in the past.

A popular young presenter argued that neither side is morally right:

Defense attorney Clyde Williams condemned Palmer’s appearance as a serious error of judgment:

Not all Jamaicans agreed, noting that Palmer’s star status cannot be understated:

A Jamaican ironically noted:

The PNP’s cultural spokesperson tried to explain as follows:

She shared video footage from the conference, in which she defended the ‘creative economy’:

Some PNP officials considered Palmer’s appearance a big moment:

All of this is happening against a backdrop of heightened fears of crime and violence. Following several recent incidents in schools, there have been heightened concerns about the influence of gangs on schoolchildren. Dancehall lyrics, often violent and misogynistic, are also seen as a negative influence on Jamaican youth. Although Jamaican police report that violent crime will be down by 2024, an air of uncertainty remains.

Jamaica’s general election is constitutionally scheduled for September 2025. With a maximum of a year to go — under the Westminster system, the prime minister can set an election date at any time — the political stakes are high and tensions have risen in the week since the PNP conference.

On September 18, police were called to the home of Prime Minister Andrew Holness in response to a “legitimate security threat.” Meanwhile, the tabling in parliament of a long-awaited Integrity Commission report into the prime minister’s finances has sparked political furor and intense media speculation.

So, do celebrity endorsements of political campaigns really work, or can they backfire? In an examination of the history of the issue, The Caribbean National Weekly found:

Historically, Jamaica’s major political parties have had traditional associations with individuals identified as criminals. These associations increased in the late 1960s and were quite evident during the politically turbulent 1970s. Alleged gunmen served as informal bodyguards for political candidates of both the PNP and the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), and criminal elements, popular as ‘dons’ or leaders of their inner-city and garrison communities, played a major role in mobilizing votes for the political party with which they were associated.

Whether it is acknowledged or not, and whether it is liked or not, it is a fact that individuals who are popular with the public, including notorious criminals or former notorious criminals, athletes and entertainers, can help mobilize votes for a political party or candidate, especially in close elections. This is why the endorsement of popular American entertainer Taylor Swift for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris is so welcome to the Harris/Walz campaign.

With Jamaica’s general election looming, the ballot box will determine whether the PNP’s gamble, as some see it, has paid off.

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