Where are the controversies in my career, Mr Wignall?
It is both embarrassing and pitiful for a reputed journalist to make a broad-based error as was committed in The Gleaner on June 14 by Mark Wignall. The headline of the article by him claims ‘All things Seaga are controversial’. To help him overcome his lack of knowledge, I am repeating a previous publication of all the achievements accomplished in my political career, totalling more than 120.
If he reads the list of these achievements it should satisfy him that they are without controversy, except for Tivoli Gardens and, of course, the naming of the Edward Seaga Highway.
It is necessary for him to point out where the controversies exist among the list of achievements of my political career if his writing is to carry any credibility at all. I hope he will be more careful in the future.
Economic and financial development; investment promotion
Established most of the range of financial institutions required in newly independent Jamaica to build a financial market for successful economic investment and growth.
1968: Promoted the Jamaica Stock Exchange;
1969: Created Jamaica Development Bank;
1969: Establishment of decimalisation of the Jamaican currency: substitution of pounds, shillings and pence for dollars and cents
1969: Conceived and implemented the Jamaicanisation of financial institutions — (banks and insurance companies) — to secure 25 per cent share ownership for Jamaicans. As a result, several merchant banks were established to transfer 25 per cent ownership of foreign banks by sale of shares to Jamaicans, and full transfer of ownership of all insurance companies to Jamaicans on the decision of the owners;
1969: Introduction of merchant banking;
1971: Established the Jamaica Unit Trust;
1972: Founded Jamaica Mortgage Bank;
1981: Created the National Development Bank;
1981: Initiated the Agricultural Credit Bank;
1982: Conceived Agro 21;
1982: Acquisition of ESSO refinery – renamed JAMPRO;
1982: Commencement of the divestment programme with lease of Government-owned hotels;
1984: Created the Self-Start Fund for small loans to small, start -up investments;
1984: Established the National Investment Bank of Jamaica (NIBJ), later JAMPRO;
1985: Presented comprehensive tax reforms including a flat income tax rate for all at 25 per cent, considerably less than previously;
1985: Solidarity programme for micro-business established;
1986 : Established Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im Bank);
1986: Deregulation of economy commencing with removal of import licensing, and later price controls without any adverse effects;
1986: Privatisation of government financial and industrial institutions — starting with NCB and Caribbean Cement Company. NCB divestment increased share holdings from 3,000 to 30,000;
1988: Initiated digiport – first satellite telecommunications data processing operation, in Montego Bay – now referred to as business process outsourcing (BPO);
1988: One Million Trees Programme commenced;
2018: Promotion of the growth of the Leucaena tree principally for export of wood from trunk and branches, animal feed from leaves, and gasification to create methane gas to produce electricity.
Planning and development
Rural and urban planning and the environment have been prime areas of development, focusing on waterfront developments in the main coastal areas, rural and urban township development programmes, and the development of parks and markets.
1963: Prepared a five-year development plan to chart the first five years of independence;
1966: Redevelopment of Kingston waterfront, starting with four 12-storey high-rise buildings and Bank of Jamaica;
1967: Commenced the slum clearance of ‘Back-o-Wall’ for the development of Tivoli Gardens community — modern, fully planned urban development, Hellshire Hills Development, Portmore Town Centre; Torrington Park Housing Scheme;
1967: Reclamation and development of Ocho Rios waterfront (Turtle Beach), starting with four high-rise apartment building and two hotels;
1968: Founding of Urban Development Corporation;
1969: Comprehensive development plan for infrastructure of many rural towns (later CRTDP) – (Cascade, Elim, Mavis Bank, and others);
1972: 20-Year physical development plan completed to outline next 20 years of national development;
1983: Jamaica Conference Centre – headquarters of the International Seabed Authority and used for national conferences. Built in one year by 24-hour construction;
1983: National Committee on Drug Abuse;
1985: MPM – development of parks, beautification, public cleaning and markets;
1985: Redevelopment of Denham Town;
1988: Reclamation of Montego Bay waterfront;
1988: Negril development (Bloody Bay);
1988: Social Well-being Plan completed and tabled;
1988: Economic Medium —Term Plan – ‘Going for Growth’ — completed and tabled;
Social Programmes
Creation of a wide range of social programmes which expanded training in human resources, aided small enterprises and protected the poor and vulnerable.
1963: Construction of National Arena;
1963: Founding of Things Jamaican for craft development;
1965: Established 100 Village Community Development Programme for adults and youths;
1965 : Developed community sports development programmes on a structured, islandwide competition basis;
1965: Initiated the Golden Age Movement;
1965: Founded The National Volunteers;
1970: Established Student Revolving Loan Fund for Higher Education;
1971: National School Feeding Programme;
1972: Establishment of Jamaica Racing Commission and Jockeys’ Training School;
1974: Originated Institute of Mass Communication, later renamed by The University of the West Indies as Caribbean Institute of Media and Communications (CARIMAC);
1982: Introduction of HEART (Human Employment & Resource Training);
1984: Food Stamp Programme for elderly poor and lactating mothers;
1984: ARP (Administrative Reform Programme) for civil service;
1984: LEAP (Learning for Earning Activity Programme) for street children;
1988: PACE (Programme for the Advancement of Early Childhood Education);
1988: Several high-rise residential halls for UWI, UTech and Cultural Training Centre students.
Cultural programmes
Established in independent Jamaica most of the institutions to build cultural awareness and national identity, as well as develop our arts, crafts and national heritage.
1963: Jamaica Festival;
1964: Promotion of Jamaican popular music (ska);
1964 : Return of Marcus Garvey’s body to Jamaica;
1964: Order of National Heroes – Garvey first hero;
1964: George VI Park renamed National Heroes’ Park;
1965: Museum Development — Arawak, Port Royal;
1967: Initiated Jamaica Journal publication (Institute of Jamaica);
1967: Purchase of Devon House to prevent demolition. Restoration and development as a premier showcase of development of Jamaican crafts and art, a national cultural attraction;
1968: Established National Heritage Week, including National Heroes’ Day;
1971: Design of the Cultural Training Centre — arts, drama, music, painting and sculpture — named on completion as Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts;
1986: Establishment of the audio-visual Creative Production and Training Centre (CPTC);
1988: Planned development of heritage sites (Port Royal, Spanish Town, Seville) — plan completed by UNESCO and UNDP;
1988: Media Divestment Programme to establish several small private radio stations and church television;
2008: Established the Premier League Clubs Association (PLCA) to raise funds for Premier League football clubs.
Institutional, parliamentary, political performance and constitutional reforms
Initiator of some of the most important political, parliamentary and constitutional reforms which affect governance of the country.
1961: Presentation of my momentous ‘Have and Have Not’ speech in Legislative Council, renamed the Senate, pointing out the substantial financial gap between two Jamaicas, the rich and the poor;
1961: Member of the Parliamentary Commission drafting the constitution for independent Jamaica;
1979: Electoral reforms — structure of the Electoral Advisory Committee (EAC), later the Electoral Commission;
1986: Establishment of contractor general, proposed in 1979;
1986: Media Commission created to maintain regulations on fair operations of media;
1992: Constitutional reform — advocate general (renamed public defender);
1993: Constitutional reform — Revised Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms;
1993: Amendment to the Standing Orders of Parliament to allow non-parliamentarians to address Parliament;
1994: Several parliamentary reforms — Parliamentary questions and debate of resolutions subject to specific times for response to strengthen the independence of Parliament over the Executive branch of Government;
Establishment of the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC) to provide for parliamentary queries to be subject to response in the current parliamentary year. Without this change parliamentarians would have to wait a further parliamentary year to seek answers from the Executive.
2005: My parliamentary service of an unbroken 45 years, longest ever on record (2 ½ years in the Senate and 43 years in the House of Representatives).
International programmes and historic interventions
1970: Proposal for UNESCO to establish International Culture Bank, which was accepted and launched as the International Fund for the promotion Culture;
1982: Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI) – Partnered with the Caribbean Basin Initiative by the United States to promote regional exports to the US on a one-way duty-free basis for the Caribbean region.
Successful international interventions: against socialism in Jamaica and Grenada, and destabilisation in Haiti and South Africa
1974: Socialism brought to an end in Jamaica and Grenada after strong resistance and in 1980 effective campaigning;
1983: Participated in ending radical socialism in Grenada after intervention by United States forces;
1986: Halted revolution in Haiti by my persuasion of President Jean-Claude Duvalier to leave the country on the eve of a threatened revolution. Acclaimed by Washington and the leadership of Haiti for the creation of a bloodless revolution for change;
1986: Proposed the establishment of a Manpower Bank, accepted by UNDP and established as United Nations International Short Term Advisory Resources (UNISTAR);
1986: Founder and chairman of Caribbean Democrat Union (CDU) to align and consolidate democratic strength in the region;
1986: Proposal to create a CARIBCAN (Canada) trade arrangement;
1987: British proposal to cease sanctions on South Africa presented at the Commonwealth Conference in Canada. It failed because of arguments submitted by me to pressure the financial strength of South Africa instead of trade sanctions. Proposed sanctions and pressure on the South African currency (rand) to force the Government of South Africa to abandon apartheid. This presentation also previously made at the 40th anniversary of the United Nations.
Honours and awards
1982: Appointed by Queen Elizabeth II as a member of Her Majesty’s Privy Council;
2002: Conferred with the honour of Order of the Nation, the second-highest honour of the Government of Jamaica;
2005: Appointed as Distinguished Fellow for Life by The University of the West Indies;
2006: Installed as a Fellow of the Institute of Jamaica, the venerable institution of arts and sciences;
2012: Appointed chancellor of the University of Technology, Jamaica.
2018: North-South leg of Highway 2000 renamed Edward Seaga Highway.
International honours
1980: Photo presentation and commentary on selection as Man of the Year, Fortune magazine, along with President Ronald Reagan, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and President Junius Jayewardene for halting the socialist movement;
1981: Republic of Venezuela — Grand Collar de Libertador;
1981: Republic of Venezuela — Gold Mercury International Award;
1981: Republic of Korea – Grand Gwangwa Medal, Order of Diplomatic Service;
1982: Federal Republic of Germany – Grand Cross of the Order of Merit;
1987: Mexico — Order of the Aztec Eagle.
Recipient of several prestigious awards
1980/1: Gleaner Honour Awards: Man of the Year;
1981: Avenue of the Americas Association, NY – Gold Key Award;
1982: American Friendship Medal bestowed by the Freedoms Foundation of the United States of America;
1983: Pan American Development Foundation Inter-American Man of the Year Development Award;
1984: Dr Martin Luther King Humanitarian Award;
1987: United Nations Environment Programme – Conferment of the Leadership Award.
Honorary Degrees
University of Miami, LLD (1981)
Tampa University, LLD (1982)
University of South Carolina, LLD (1983)
Boston University, LLD (1983)
University of Hartford, LLD. (1987)
University of Technology, D Litt (2012)
Publications
Parent Teacher Relationships, published by Institute of Social and Economic Research, The University of the West Indies, 1954;
Faith Healing in Jamaica, International Parapsychology, 1955;
Revival Spirit Cults, Jamaica Journal, Vol 3, No.2, 1968, Institute of Jamaica;
Folk Music of Jamaica (album of music recorded by Ethnic Folkways Library), 1978 from my collection of Jamaican music;
The Origins of Jamaican Popular Music (published on CD from lecture at UWI), 2002;
The Folk Roots of Jamaican Cultural Identity, inaugural lecture at the University of the West Indies, May 2005;
Grenada Intervention: The Inside Story. Edward Seaga Research Institute, 2009;
Revelations: Beyond Political Boundaries. Edward Seaga Research Institute, 2009;
Autobiography, My Life and Leadership, Volume 1, Clash of Ideologies, 2010;
Autobiography, My Life and Leadership, Volume 2, Hard Road to Travel, 2010;
Compilation of album of four recordings of the 100 top Jamaican tunes since independence, 2012 — which helped to significantly establish reggae music.
The list above is exhaustive and there is certainly no comparison with any other such series of attainments.
I am pleased that these 120 and more contributions covered a broad basis of support and development to Jamaica since independence.
May honesty prevail.