Political excitement abound in Jamaica and in the Diaspora, as the nation gears up for the December 29 general elections that Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced on Sunday. General election campaigns in Jamaica are often an exciting time as the two major political parties, the ruling Jamaica Labor Party (JLP) and the People's National Party (PNP) challenge each other for the seat of government. This pending election however generates special excitement with the introduction of new JLP leader Holness, who at 39 is the first leader
of a major political party born since independence in 1962. Holness' youth has offered a resurgence of hope for many Jamaicans.

Despite the excitement and speculation, is Holness wise to call this early election this early? Understandably he needs to establish his own mandate as the new JLP leader and prime minister, having succeeded former embattled leader and Prime Minister, Bruce Golding. However, early elections may prove to be unsound political strategy.

Since entering office, Holness acts more like a campaigner than a prime minister. Six weeks is an unreasonably short time to evaluate his performance, with little chance to judge his leadership philosophy and plans for Jamaica's development during this challenging economy. Granted, his inaugural speech in October signaled some of his objectives, but that speech was so lack-luster that it has been quickly forgotten. Since then, the PM has jumped headfirst into election campaigning and not so much into prime ministerial activities.

Ironically, Holness was appointed as Golding's successor to downplay the damage following Golding's inept handling of the Christopher "Dudus" Coke/Manatt affair last year, and the fallout from the debacle of the related Commission of Enquiry earlier this year. To some, the party united around Holness to highlight a convenient leader with a yet untarnished image, in the hopes of overcoming corruption allegations in time for the next election.

Holness, however, must have realized since taking office that the political atmosphere in Jamaica (not just within the JLP) is like a "scandal" bag laden with corruption. This bag is so heavy it's bursting, and one by one the corrupt items are falling out. The items fallen out include Trafigura, Cuban light bulbs, Dudus/Manatt, and recently the Jamaica Development Infrastructure Program, for unaccounted road building funds and excessive spending (some J$100M) to refurbish the National Works Agency with foreign-made furniture.

Wouldn't Mr. Holness serve himself and Jamaica better if he focused on cleaning out corruption? He needn't have dug too far into the "scandal" bag; the Jamaican contractor general has already marked a list of corrupt items. By cleaning the mess of public corruption, and appointing a fresh Cabinet of honorable individuals, Holness would have secured his mandate without risking an early general election, which could have been held closer to the constitutional deadline at December 2012.

Despite the perceived threat of harsher International Monetary Fund (IMF) measures, and from speculated "boogey-men" hovering over the JLP government and the nation, if Mr. Holness had the fortitude to confront corruption, he would stand a good chance to become the new leader Jamaica so badly needs.

As it stands, as a relatively unknown national leader, Holness and his youthfulness cannot guarantee a JLP victory. The PNP, although led by its much older leader Portia Simpson Miller, has responded by selecting several young candidates, as young as 28 and 31 years, to contest several constituencies.

Also, true to the common class prejudice in Jamaica, there are Jamaicans who still believe that Simpson Miller is not sophisticated or articulate enough to return to office. But such people should be advised to check into the history of the supposedly unsophisticated Alexander Bustamante (JLP) who defeated his intellectual cousin and political opposition Norman Manley (PNP), to become Jamaica's first prime minister. There are also no guarantees for Holness to regain his West Central St. Andrew parliamentary seat.

So could Holness' political race mimic Usain Bolt's 100 meter run at this year World Athletic Championships? Could he risk jumping the gun, and losing it all?