Prime Minister Dr. the Most Honourable Andrew Holness says Jamaica must uphold the standards, conventions, and seriousness that have guided public life, warning that the country must resist any attempt to weaken the principles that have supported national leadership and governance for decades.
Speaking at the recent floral tribute for former Prime Minister, the Most Honourable Edward Seaga, at National Heroes Park, Prime Minister Holness said Mr. Seaga’s life and legacy are a reminder that politics must be treated as an instrument for national development, not as a stage for applause, short-term attention, or political theatre.
The Prime Minister said Mr. Seaga approached public service with discipline, structure, and seriousness, noting that his contribution to Jamaica was reflected not only in the institutions he built, but also in the standards he upheld.
“To remember Edward Seaga properly is not to freeze him in history. It is to study the seriousness with which he approached Jamaica’s future. It is to recognise the value of institutions. It is to uphold standards in public life,” Dr. Holness said.
Dr. Holness said Jamaica must reject any approach to politics that demeans public office, lowers the quality of leadership, and weakens national purpose.
“Today, there is a calculated assault on the standards of public life, a calculated assault on the conventions that have carried this nation for decades,” the Prime Minister said.
The Prime Minister said public policy must be supported by structure, implementation, efficiency and measurable performance. He said leaders must be judged not only by how well they articulate ideas, but by whether those ideas are translated into real results for the Jamaican people.
“To remember Mr. Seaga is to insist that policy must be structured, that implementation must be efficient and effective, and that performance must be measured by real outcomes for the people,” Dr. Holness said.
The Prime Minister said Jamaica must move beyond a political culture that rewards rhetoric over results, noting that care for the people must be demonstrated through action.
“We are not just here to write a policy, articulate it eloquently, appeal to you emotionally that we care about you, but we don’t act to materialise the care, to bring the care to reality,” Prime Minister Holness said.
Prime Minister Holness said modern politics has increasingly been affected by short-term thinking, which can distract from the deeper work of nation-building.
“One must act for results that may only be fully appreciated years later. That is very difficult for modern politics, because we live in an era of instant gratification. Many short-term thinkers have hijacked our politics and made us as a people think in very myopic ways,” Prime Minister Holness said.
The Prime Minister said Mr. Seaga’s example remains important because he was a leader who built institutions, strengthened communities, protected culture, and pursued long-term national development. He said leaders must be willing to plant trees under whose shade others will sit, noting that this approach is essential to building a stronger Jamaica.
Prime Minister Dr. Holness said his Administration will continue to build with seriousness and thoughtfulness by strengthening what works, reforming what is outdated, and creating institutions equal to the challenges of the time. He said this work must be guided by a commitment to keeping Jamaica’s public life grounded in standards, service, and results.
