Amidst the ceremonial opening of Jamaica’s Parliament on Thursday, a revealing social phenomenon unfolded as dedicated Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) supporters openly admitted to skipping workplace obligations to attend the political event. Many attendees concealed their identities with party-colored coverings and makeshift disguises, attempting to avoid photographic recognition while expressing unwavering loyalty to their political representatives.
Longtime JLP adherents, clad in the party’s signature green, revealed they have consistently attended the annual parliamentary ceremony for years, considering it a priority above professional responsibilities. While some exhibited caution when approached by media, others spoke with defiant pride about their attendance decisions.
One prominently dressed supporter articulated her justification for absenteeism, stating Prime Minister Andrew Holness’s performance warranted her presence. ‘He is the biggest man in the country right now, away from God,’ she declared, employing the leader’s ‘Brogad’ campaign moniker. She explained to her employer that she required time off to ‘uplift my country’ and expressed no intention to conceal her participation.
Another attendee awaited the arrival of Finance Minister Fayval Williams, her local parliamentary representative, asserting she had openly informed her supervisor of her political allegiance. ‘I tell my boss say him know me a Labourite…him can’t stop me,’ she stated confidently.
In a particularly bold declaration, a Jamaica Urban Transit Company employee claimed ultimate accountability to Minister Daryl Vaz, whose portfolio oversees her state-owned employer. ‘My Government give me my work so me have to come to Parliament,’ she reasoned, expressing confidence that ministerial approval superseded immediate supervisory concerns.
Contrasting these vocal supporters, numerous attendees actively avoided media documentation, with some physically retreating from camera ranges and others obscuring facial features with ski masks. ‘Wait, is it a picture you a go tek? Mek me move, because mi nuh want my boss si mi,’ one individual exclaimed while exiting photographic frame.
Groups of supporters privately exchanged anecdotes about fabricated excuses and coordinated attendance strategies, though these conversations diminished when journalists approached. One participant defended her right to take personal time, noting: ‘If you take a half day it’s out of your pay…As long you are a good worker, him a guh give you the time.’