Party Politics in Jamaica and the Extradition of Christopher “Dudus” Coke

In the last twenty years attention has been placed on issues of governance and the role of civil society, but the underbelly of governance is politics, and its conduct has serious implications for democratic practice and for “states of freedom as well as freedom of states.” This paper emphasizes the importance of the subjective dimensions of political life and the changing socio-racial constitution of political parties in Jamaica. It explores the politics around the extradition request by the United States of Christopher Coke, an alleged drug don and leading figure in the West Kingston constituency represented by Prime Minister Bruce Golding. This essay takes a critical look at Jamaican politics, and, specifically, the part played by political parties and the growth of power brokers connected to gangs, some of whose leaders combine legal business activities arising from state contracts with drug-trafficking and gun-running activities. It examines recent scholarly work on Jamaican politics, arguing for greater empirical research on the activities of political parties and the need for a project of party reform.