Derrick Smith and Leadership

In 2004 when Edward Seaga went to Derrick Smith’s house for a gathering and announced that he was stepping down as party leader, Derrick’s ‘glad bag’ must have exploded, as this was the chance for him to take over the reigns. Smith had been harbouring the thought of running the JLP for some two years before, which resulted from, as he puts it in a Gleaner interview on July 5, “Persons in the party approached me and said they thought I could provide the type of calm, balanced leadership the Jamaica Labour Party needs.”

In that same interview he admitted that he does not have the strong personality that is characteristic of the JLP or its leaders but that he has “the ability to balance the ship.” “I have held several posts within the party and never shown any confrontationalist or autocratic style. I have never been involved in any serious personality clashes within the party, differences yes, but I have been trained enough to succeed in that area.” Smith added.

Mr. Smith’s leadership skills were developed in the Jamaica Jaycees, a member of a worldwide leadership organization that trains young people to be leaders of society. He went into politics in 1980 and was one of the persons who mobilized the East Kingston constituency. Edward Seaga appointed him Senator in 1981 and he won the West Central Kingston seat in 1983 snap election and became the MP. In 1985 he became MP for North West St. Andrew. He is the deputy leader for the party in charge of area one and was the leader of opposition business in parliament.

So with twenty-four years of politics under his belt Mr. Smith felt that he was the man for the job, at the coaxing of his friends in the party. The good thing for Jamaica however was that he never started the race, because he “wasn't satisfied with the level of commitment from certain key functionaries that…was vitally important to have fully on board to guarantee a victory."

Jamaica was indeed spared, especially in light of how the minister has started his role as security minister. If it seems that he cannot manage one ministry, can you imagine him overseeing all the ministries and business of Jamaica as the prime minister?

The shocking revelation is that Mr. Smith has the experience, on paper that is. He was a member of the Consultative Committee on the National Security Crime Plan as well as the National Committee on Crime and Violence. He has been understudying the PNP for nearly eighteen years as opposition spokesman, enough time for a child to be conceived, attend basic school, primary school, secondary school, university and then start working. So on paper he is definitely the guy for the job. What has happened to all those years and experience is anyone’s guess. Couldn’t he imagine that one day he may become the minister?


Over the years Mr. Smith has done a lot of talking on crime albeit while in the opposition. In fact his name appeared in online news articles more than any other JLP cabinet member apart from Bruce Golding and Audley Shaw. The disturbing trend over the years however is that his talk generally support political endevours rather than genuine contribution to the solution. For example, on September 6, 2006, speaking on behalf of his party and referring to the government’s use of citizen as voluntary special constables to help fight crime, Mr. Smith stated that “This is the Home Guard of the past in a different (guise),"and “the Opposition is not going to sit back and allow any political militia to be reintroduced into this country. We are going to resist that most strenuously." One year later however as part of the JLP’s crime plan in its 2007 manifesto, it is stated that they will:

1. “Establish traffic Corps made up of civilians to relieve the police of traffic duties and enable them to focus on law enforcement.”

2. “Establish a police reserve similar to the JDF reserve drawn from civilians…”


There is enough evidence to suggest that the minister really knows how to oppose and very little in the proposal and execution departments. But talk is cheap and easy. Real work in search of real results is hard and a lot more challenging. No wonder he finds the current crime problem "mysterious and suspicious."

Frankly I do not believe that Mr. Smith understand that his role as security minister deeply affects his party’s ambition of creating a “better way …for a better Jamaica,” more than any other portfolio. Until he understand that there is a link between social infrastructure, economic benefits and crime, he will continue to put more emphasis on reforming the police force.

In a Gleaner article of December 21, 2004, Mr. Smith challenged the then Security minister Dr. Peter Phillips to speak to the crime issue in his broadcast to the nation with “forthrightness, honesty and candour.” Eight months later he was asking Prime Minister PJ Patterson to fire Phillips for non-performance. We all know the tale of how “cock mout kill cock” and we can be certain that if Mr. Smith fails to reduce the crime rate and bring back some level of decency to our society, he will step down.