The Origins of Partisan Political Violence

• Author: Amanda Sives
• Profession: Lecturer in Politics at the University of Liverpool
• Pages: 1-23

THE ORIGINS OF PARTISAN POLITICAL VIOLENCE 1 1

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The Origins of Partisan

Political Violence

Introduction

The granting of universal adult suffrage in 1944 signalled the arrival of the

modern political system as the two political parties, led by the dominant figures

of Norman Manley and Alexander Bustamante, developed their support base,

their political programmes and vied for political influence under the expanding

level of responsibility granted by the Colonial Office. Previous studies have

already explored the nature of the political parties in some detail. In this chapter,

I examine the ways in which political party and trade union violence became an

element of early modern political life in Jamaica. As I stated in the introduction,

violent politics did not arrive with the expansion of representative democracy

as electoral conflict had existed since the post-emancipation period. However,

the extension of the franchise brought the mass of Jamaican people into the

political arena, led to the formation of modern political parties and changed the

nature of political engagement for all classes in the society. The early party

rivalry and associated violence, while not a defining element in the birth of the

two political parties, was important in the development of modern Jamaican

political culture. The conflict was low-key and sporadic, it did not involve the

use of firearms (for the most part) and it did not pose a direct threat to the

process of self-government. It is therefore important not to overestimate its

impact, particularly given the period 1944–62 was one that witnessed the birth

of a political system. On the other hand, the role and impact of the early party

conflict should not be underestimated occupying, as it does, an important position

in the historical narratives of partisan political violence.

The chapter begins with an examination of the political context of exclusion

from which the two political parties emerge. I argue that despite informal political

action and engagement the political experience of the mass of the Jamaican

population was limited. Given that context, the construction of political identity

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2 ELECTIONS, VIOLENCE AND THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS IN JAMAICA

was more focused on the emerging leaders, rather than the political party or

associated trade unions — a not unexpected response given the history of political

marginalisation. While this was initially more relevant in the JLP, it became a

feature of PNP political culture by the mid-1950s. The desire to protect the

leaders and the emerging political identities associated with them helps explain

the levels of partisan violence during this period. In addition, it is clear both

political parties were involved in using violence as a strategy to ensure their own

political survival.

I trace the pivotal events of the 1940s and 1950s in this chapter and the one

succeeding it. Based on interviews, newspaper reports, party documents and

Colonial Office papers, it has been possible to reconstruct the early history of

partisan political violence and its impacts on the emerging political culture. The

evidence points to the fact that the conflict between rival political supporters

and trade unionists originated from the ranks of the JLP as they sought to

maintain their overwhelming dominance. The PNP rapidly responded by

mobilising its forces on the steets of the capital to defend itself. The conflict was

part of the struggle of each party to assert its position on the new electoral map

of Jamaica. What it highlights is the way in which the parties, unions and

leaders became significant in the lives of many working class Jamaicans from a

very early stage in the newly expanded political arena. Political identity, via the

political parties, becomes the predominant marker of identity in the last stages

of the colonial period and had resonance for many supporters before either

party was able to access state resources. For those who became affiliated with

the party, union and leader, a sense of belonging and political self begins to

emerge within partisan frameworks which were later reinforced by economic

benefits.

Political Context: Exclusion and Response

Contextualising the growth of the two political parties and the relationships

that developed between leaders and supporters requires an understanding of the

limited level of political participation in the pre-1944 period. Since the Morant

Bay Rebellion of 1865, Jamaica had been ruled as a Crown Colony government.

By the 1930s, this signified the following about the levels of political participation

and systems of governance — the Governor presided over a Legislative Council

which was composed of a majority of ex-officio and nominated members (selected