Word: jamaican
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...Jamaican Prime Minister Edward P. G. Seaga '52 met with President Bok Saturday and later spoke with reporters about developments in his poverty-stricken nation...
...when Edward Seaga and his moderate Jamaican Labour Party (JLP) swept into office in an election marked by violence and discord, a sign of relief sounded in Washington and in the boardrooms of many multinational corporations. Seaga won on a platform promising the redirection of Jamaica's economy along lines favorable to foreign investment, especially American, and the revitalization of the private sector on the troubled island. What pleased Washington even more than the JLP's repentant capitalist slogans was that --temporarily at least--the election did away with Michael Manley and his People's National Party...
Manley, scion of the father of Jamaican independence, served as prime minister from 1972 to 1980. His tenure proved a continual source of irritation to the State Department and leaders of the business community, as he tried to lead his tiny nation along independent lines that often conflicted openly with American policy and interests. He pledged his country to the principles of democratic socialism, established a controversial friendship with Fidel Castro, and raised the taxes on the foreign aluminum companies which had substantial investments in the country. With Cuba enough of a thorn in its side, Washington was wary...
...GOVERNMENT also introduced a host of populist measures, from increased participation in local government to literacy campaigns and widescale public housing construction. The Jamaican private sector found such measures far too radical; an exodus of skilled workers and professionals ensued, and those who stayed formed a permanent opposition to Manley and his policies...
...allegedly played upon the upper classes' fear of ongoing economic reforms and backed the sabotage and violence with which the JLP sought to undermine the Manley administration. The charges are bold, but Manley attaches a "Destabilization Diary" to the book which makes a strong case for U.S. interference in Jamaican affairs...