Michael Manley

(b. Jamaica, 10 Dec. 1924; d. 6 March 1997 Jamaican; Prime Minister 1972 – 80, 1989 – 92 The son of Norman Manley, the founder of the People's National Party (PNP) and a "father" of Jamaican independence, Michael Manley entered a political dynasty, becoming leader of the PNP in 1969. He had previously studied economics at the LSE and worked for the BBC in London, organized Jamaican sugar workers in a PNP-run trade union, and been elected to parliament in 1969.

He led the PNP to victory in the 1972 election and two years later declared himself a democratic socialist, proposing a radical agenda of nationalizations, social reforms, and close ties with Cuba. He introduced legislation on union and women's rights, started a land reform, and spent heavily on health, education, and housing. The PNP was re-elected in 1976 but its second term was characterized by economic crisis and mounting political violence. Manley alleged that the USA and IMF, hostile to his brand of socialism and Third Worldism, destabilized the Jamaican economy, cutting credit, and imposing covert sanctions. The PNP lost the 1980 election to the conservative Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) of Edward Seaga.

After nine years in opposition, Manley returned to power in 1989, inheriting an even more bankrupt economy. By now he had recanted much of his earlier radicalism, made peace with Washington, and broken with the left-wing faction of the PNP. His government presented itself as pro-business and advocated privatization policies, although maintaining cautious links with Cuba.

In 1992 Manley retired from the premiership on grounds of ill-health, handing over power to P. J. Patterson. He has subsequently worked as a consultant and has contributed to various regional commissions and organizations.

Michael Manley (1924-1997) was the leader of the People's National Party of Jamaica, prime minister (1972-1980, 1989-1992), and theoretician for a new International Economic Order. A fiery leftist and critic of the United States in his first two terms, in his third term he was a moderate with close ties to America.

Michael Norman Manley was born in St. Andrew, Jamaica, on December 10, 1924, the second son of illustrious parents. His father, Norman Washington Manley, was a Rhodes scholar, decorated World War I hero, and the most distinguished legal advocate in the history of Jamaica. In 1938 Norman Manley founded the People's National Party, and he served as premier of Jamaica between 1955 and 1962. Along with his cousin, Alexander Bustamante, the elder Manley was a dominant force in the political system of his c}ountry until his retirement in 1969. Michael Manley's mother, Edna (nee Swithenbank), was an internationally recognized sculptor and patron of the arts

Manley attended Jamaica College, his father's alma mater, in suburban Saint Andrew parish and in the early 1940s was a writer for the weekly newspaper Public Opinion. He volunteered for service in the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1943 while at McGill University and at the end of the war studied politics, philosophy, and economics at the London School of Economics. Upon graduation he worked as a freelance journalist with the British Broadcasting Service from 1950 to December 1951, when he accepted the invitation to be associate editor of Public Opinion.

Jamaica in the early 1950s was an exciting place politically. The People's National Party had lost the general elections of 1949 although they gained the largest number of popular votes. More significantly, an irreparable rift had developed between the party and its labor union, culminating in a break in 1952. Manley became a member of the executive committee of the People's National Party in 1952 and helped organize the National Worker's Union, the successor to the Trade's Union Congress dominated by the expelled dissident faction

In 1953 Manley quit Public Opinion to work full time with the National Worker's Union. He is credited with the rapid expansion of the union not only among sugar workers, the traditional stronghold of the rival Bustamante Industrial Trades Union, but also among elite bauxite and mine workers, as well as urban industrial workers. In 1955 he was elected Island supervisor and first vice president of the National Workers Union, and in 1962, the year he was appointed a senator, he was elected president of the Caribbean Bauxite and Mineworkers Union. Before his formal entry into politics Manley had the reputation of being the foremost union organizer in the Caribbean - an energetic, fearless, dynamic, and gifted leader.

In the general elections of 1967 Manley won the seat in the House of Representatives for the constituency of Central Kingston, later reclassified as East Central Kingston. Elected leader of the People's National Party in 1969 after the resignation of his father, Manley led the party to victory in 1972.

Manley's Stormy Years in Office

Manley's first two terms as prime minister created great controversy and projected his country into international headlines. In an effort to implement his brand of "democratic socialism" he sought to drastically restructure the politics and economy of Jamaica through far-reaching legislation. On the positive side, over 40,000 new housing units were built, free education was made available for all students, new hospitals were established and the infant mortality rate was cut in half. However, the Jamaican economy took a nosedive due to several factors. The price of oil increased nearly ten-fold during Manley's term; the government's purchase of most of the sugar estates resulted in them becoming unproductive white elephants; and many business and professional people, fearing Manley's leftist rhetoric, left the country. As a result, unemployment skyrocketed to thirty percent by 1980.

In the international sphere, Manley developed closer ties between Jamaica and Fidel Castro's Cuba, and criticized America and other western countries. He sought to lead the Movement of Non-Aligned Nations into the formation of a New International Economic Order against what he considered the exploitation of the West.

Manley won reelection easily in 1976, but shortly afterwards the island's increasing economic problems forced him to turn to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). To obtain loans, the prime minister agreed to reduce the value of his country's currency. Unfortunately, this failed to help the economy, while meeting the conditions of the loans hurt the living standards of Jamaicans. By March of 1988, Manley refused to accept the conditions of the IMF for new loans.

As the economy continued to sour, violence broke out between Manley's supporters and his opponents, driving away visitors and eliminating a major source of revenue from tourism. The 1980 elections were held in an atmosphere of near-civil war, with over 750 dying and thousands being injured in the shootings and stabbings that broke out over the country. In November's elections, Manley and the People's National Party were routed by Ed Seaga and his Jamaican Labor Party, managing to retain only nine out of 60 seats in Parliament.

Manley Returns to Power

Just after his defeat, Manley expressed no regrets about his policies, saying "We lost because we challenged the power of the Western economic order. And for that I am unrepentant," quoted in "Seaga Knocks Out the Left," by John Brecher, Newsweek. He also indicated his desire to return to private life. The latter was shortlived, and a new Manley - more moderate than he had been previously - became leader of the opposition. Manley's decision not to contest the December 1983 elections cost him his seat in Parliament, but he continued to be highly-regarded by the Jamaican people. Seaga - never particularly popular - became even more unpopular with his austerity program, and in February of 1989 Manley and the People's National Party won a decisive victory, capturing 44 seats in Parliament. In an interview with Newsweek's Eric Calonius, Manley acknowledged making mistakes in his previous tenure, and said, "The country has evolved, the world has evolved, and we must evolve with it. I think I have evolved."

In his third term as Prime Minister, Manley followed many of Seaga's policies, although he tended to put greater emphasis on small-scale businesses and increased spending on education. Also, like Seaga, he forged a close relationship with the United States, even supporting President George Bush's proposed North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to reduce tariffs between the United States, Mexico, and Canada. In 1990 Manley was diagnosed with cancer, and on March 16th he announced he was stepping down, for reasons of health, from his position as prime minister. In spite of his illness, he led the Commonwealth Observer Mission to oversee the historic 1994 elections in South Africa, which ended apartheid in that country.

Manley died of prostate cancer March 7th, 1997, in Kingston after having served his country in one form or another for over 40 years. In a letter to the Jamaican Prime Minister, Secretary General of the Commonwealth Emeka Anyaoku called Manley "a statesman of courage and conviction who extended his vision of a better and more just society beyond his island shores" who was "endeared not only to his Commonwealth colleagues but to people so many parts of the world."

Manley's life boasted many personal and political accomplishments. He was prime minister for three terms and lead the People's National Party for almost a quarter-century. Manley also founded the International Bauxite Association and spearheaded the International Seabed Authority, which both have their headquarters in Kingston, and served as vice-president of the Socialist International for Latin America and the Caribbean in 1978. He also received many awards, including a United Nations special award for his contributions to the struggle against apartheid (1978), the Joliot Curie Medal of the World Peace Council (1979), the Order of the Liberator from Venezuela (1973) and the Order of the Mexican Eagle (1975).

Further Reading

Manley is listed in the International Who's Who and Personalities Caribbean; His political career can be gleaned from his writings as well as from Rex Nettleford, Identity, Race and Protest in Jamaica (1971); Carl Stone, Electoral Behaviour and Public Opinion in Jamaica (1974); Manley's tenure as prime minister from 1972-1980 and the 1980 elections were given an overview in "Political Storm Over Jamaica," by Jo Thomas, New York Times Magazine; and the 1980 election results were given in "Seaga Knocks Out the Left," by John Brecher, Newsweek, November 10th, 1980; Interviews with Manley shortly after his 1989 victory are given to Erik Calonius in "A Comeback in Jamaica," Newsweek, February 20th, 1989; and with Hans Massaquoi of Ebony, February, 1990; Manley authored five books: The Politics of Change (1974), A Voice at the Workplace (1976), The Search for Solutions (1977), Jamaica: Struggle in the Periphery (1982), and Up the Down Esculator: Development and the International Economy (Washington, D.C., Howard University Press, 1987). Two biographies of him are Michael Manley: The Making of a Leader by Darrell Levi (Athens, University of Georgia Press, 1990); and Michael Manley: The Great Transformation by David Panton (Kingston Pub. Ltd., 1993).

For more information on Michael Norman Manley, visit Britannica.com.

For other uses, see Mike Manley.

The Most Honourable  Michael Manley
4th Prime Minister of Jamaica
In office March 2, 1972 – November 1, 1980 February 10, 1989 – March 30, 1992
Preceded by	Hugh Shearer Edward Seaga
Succeeded by	Edward Seaga Percival Patterson
Leader of the Opposition
In office 1969 - March 2, 1972 November 1, 1980 – February 10, 1989
Preceded by	Norman Manley (1969)
Succeeded by	Hugh Shearer (1972) Edward Seaga (1989)
Born	December 10, 1924(1924-12-10)
Died	March 6, 1997 (aged 72)
Nationality	Jamaica
Political party	People's National Party

Michael Norman Manley ON OCC (December 10, 1924 – March 6, 1997) was the fourth Prime Minister of Jamaica (1972 – 1980, 1989 – 1992). Michael Manley was a democratic socialist.^[1]

The second son of Jamaica's Premier Norman Manley and Jamaican artist Edna Manley, Michael Manley was a charismatic figure who became the leader of the Jamaican People's National Party a few months before his father's death in 1969.

Contents 1 Pre-political career 2 Reforms 3 Diplomacy 4 Violence 5 Opposition 6 Re-election 7 Family 8 Retirement and death 9 Sources 10 Notes

Pre-political career

He attended Jamaica College and served with the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II. In 1945, he enrolled at the London School of Economics. In 1949, he graduated, and returned to Jamaica to serve as an editor and columnist for the newspaper Public Opinion. At around the same time, he became involved in the trade union movement, and became a negotiator for the National Workers Union. In August, 1953, he became a full-time official of that union.^[2]

When his father was elected chief minister of Jamaica in 1955, Michael resisted the idea of entering politics, not wanting to be seen as capitalizing on his family name. He eventually relented, however, and accepted an appointment to the Senate of the Parliament of Jamaica in 1962. He later won a very close election to the Jamaican House of Representatives in 1967. After his father's retirement, he became the leader of the People's National Party in 1969. In that capacity, he served as leader of the Opposition until his party won in the general elections of 1972.^[2]

Reforms

Manley soundly beat the unpopular incumbent Prime Minister Hugh Shearer (his cousin) in the election of 1972 after running on a platform of "better must come," giving "power to the people" and leading "a government of truth."

Manley instituted a series of socio-economic reforms that yielded mixed success. Though he was a biracial Jamaican from an elite family, Manley's successful trade union background helped him to maintain a close relationship with the country's poor, black majority, and he was a dynamic, popular leader. Unlike his father, who had a reputation for being formal and businesslike, the younger Manley moved easily among people of all strata and made Parliament accessible to the people by abolishing the requirement for men to wear jackets and ties to its sittings. In this regard he started a fashion revolution, often preferring the Kariba suit which was a type of formal bush or safari jacket with trousers and worn without a shirt and tie.

Diplomacy

Manley and his fourth wife Beverly (formerly Beverly Anderson) with US president Jimmy Carter in 1977.

Manley developed close friendships with several foreign leaders, foremost of whom were Julius Nyerere of Tanzania, Olof Palme of Sweden, Pierre Trudeau of Canada and Fidel Castro of Cuba. With Cuba just 145 km (90 miles) north of Jamaica, he strengthened diplomatic relations between the two island nations, much to the dismay of United States policymakers.

At the 1979 meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement, Manley strongly pressed for the development of what was called a natural alliance between the Non-aligned movement and the Soviet Union to battle imperialism. In his speech he said, "All anti-imperialists know that the balance of forces in the world shifted irrevocably in 1917 when there was a movement and a man in the October Revolution, and Lenin was the man." Manley saw Cuba and the Cuban model as having much to offer both Jamaica and the world.

In diplomatic affairs, Manley believed in respecting the different systems of government of other countries and not interfering in their internal affairs.

Violence

Manley was the Prime Minister when Jamaica experienced a significant escalation of its political culture of violence. Supporters of his opponent Edward Seaga and the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and Manley's People's National Party (PNP) engaged in a bloody struggle which began before the 1976 election and ended when Seaga was installed as Prime Minister in 1980. While the violent political culture was not invented by Seaga or Manley, and had its roots in conflicts between the parties from as early as the beginning of the two-party system in the 1940s, political violence reached unprecedented levels in the 1970s. Indeed, the two elections accompanied by the greatest violence were those (1976 and 1980) in which Seaga was trying to unseat Manley.

In response to a wave of killings in 1974, Manley oversaw the passage of the Gun Court Act and the Suppression of Crime Act, giving the police and the army new powers to seal off and disarm high-violence neighborhoods. The Gun Court imposed a mandatory sentence of indefinite imprisonment with hard labor for all firearms offenses, and ordinarily tried cases in camera, without a jury. Manley declared that "There is no place in this society for the gun, now or ever."^[3]

Violence flared in January 1976 in anticipation of elections. A State of Emergency was declared by Manley's party the PNP in June and 500 people, including some prominent members of the JLP, were accused of trying to overthrow the government and were detained, without charges, in a specially created prison at the Up-Park Camp military headquarters ^[4]. Elections were held on 15 December that year, while the state of emergency was still in effect. The PNP was returned to office. The State of Emergency continued into the next year. Extraordinary powers granted the police by the Suppression of Crime Act of 1974 continued to the end of the 1980s.

Violence continued to blight political life in the 1970s. Gangs armed by both parties fought for control of urban constituencies. In the election year of 1980 around 800 Jamaicans were killed. Jamaicans were particularly shocked by the violence at that time.

In the 1980 elections, Seaga's JLP won and he became Prime Minister.

Opposition

As Leader of the Opposition Manley became an outspoken critic of the new conservative administration. He strongly opposed intervention in Grenada after Prime Minister Maurice Bishop was overthrown and executed. Immediately after committing Jamaican troops to Ronald Reagan's invasion of Grenada in 1983, Seaga called a snap election – two years early – on the pretext that Dr Paul Robertson, General Secretary of the PNP, had called for his resignation. Manley, who may have been taken by surprise by the maneuver, led his party in a boycott of the elections, and so the Jamaica Labour Party won all seats in parliament against only marginal opposition in six of the sixty electoral constituencies.

During his period of opposition in the 1980s, Manley, a compelling speaker, travelled extensively, speaking to audiences around the world. He taught a graduate seminar and gave a series of public lectures at Columbia University in New York.

In the 1980s a Judicial Enquiry, the Smith Commission, was held on the 1976 State of Emergency. Manley admitted that he declared it on evidence that was manufactured to help him win the forthcoming election.

In 1986 Manley travelled to Britain and visited Birmingham. He attended a number of venues including the Afro Caribbean Resource Centre in Winson Green and Digbeth Civic Hall. The mainly black audiences turned out en masse to hear Manley speak.

Re-election

By 1989 Manley had softened his socialist rhetoric, explicitly advocating a role for private enterprise. With the fall of the Soviet Union, he also ceased his support for a variety of international causes. In the election of that year he campaigned on a very moderate platform. Seaga's administration had fallen out of favor – both with the electorate and the US – and the PNP was re-elected handily.

Manley's second term was short and largely uneventful. In 1992, citing health reasons he stepped down as Prime Minister and PNP leader. His former Deputy Prime Minister, Percival Patterson, assumed both offices.

Family

Michael Manley was married 5 times. In 1946 he married Jacqueline Ramellard. The marriage was in dissolved 1951. Manley then married Thelma Verity in 1955. The marriage was in dissolved 1960. 1966 saw Manley marry Barbara Lewars who later died in 1968. In 1972 Manley wed Beverley Anderson. The marriage was dissolved in 1990. Beverly Anderson Manley later authored The Manley Memoirs in June 2008. Michael Manley's final marriage was to Glynne Ewart 1992.^[5]

Manley had had 5 children from his five marriages: Rachel Manley, Joseph Manley, Sarah Manley, Natasha Manley and David Manley.

Retirement and death

Manley wrote seven books, including the award-winning A History of West Indies Cricket, in which he discussed the links between cricket and West Indian nationalism.

Michael Manley died of prostate cancer on 6 March 1997, the same day as another Caribbean politician, Cheddi Jagan of Guyana.

Preceded by Hugh Shearer	Prime Minister of Jamaica 1972-1980	Succeeded by Edward Seaga
Preceded by Edward Seaga	Prime Minister of Jamaica 1989-1992	Succeeded by Percival Patterson

Sources

Henke, Holger 2000. "Between Self-Determination and Dependency. Jamaica's Foreign Relations, 1972-1989." Kingston: University of the West Indies Press.

Levi, Darrell E. 1990. Michael Manley: The Making of A Leader. Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press.

ref: http://www.oomgallery.net/gallery.asp?location=36&c=251 / Photographs of Michael Manley visit to Birmingham England 1986 / OOM Gallery

Image ref: http://www.caricom.org/jsp/projects/personalities/michael_norman.jsp?menu=projects

Notes

1. ^ http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20090308/focus/focus4.html
2. ^ ^{a b} Lentz, Harris M., III (1994). Heads of States and Governments. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, Inc.. pp. 451–452. ISBN 0899509266. 
3. ^ "Stalag in Kingston". Time Magazine. September 23, 1974. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,908746,00.html. Retrieved 2009-01-14. 
4. ^ The Daily Gleaner, Monday 6 July 1986 Page 14
5. ^ http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-michael-manley-1271652.html

v • d • e Prime Ministers of Jamaica Alexander Bustamante† · Norman Manley† · Alexander Bustamante · Donald Sangster · Hugh Shearer · Michael Manley · Edward Seaga · Michael Manley · P. J. Patterson · Portia Simpson-Miller · Bruce Golding † Served as Chief Minister of Jamaica

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