Dual citizenship elections

[Willi]

If the Party just wanted to make a constitutional point, how comes they never contesetd their own dual citizens (Hayles and Sharon Webster)? Even as Hayles tried to fix up his stutus just before the nomination but failed as he ran out of time.

Again I say, if you wanted to preserve the constitution, you would NOT have picked such candidates yourself and certainly would have warned the other side in time, so they would not run afoul of the law. Standing aside and allowing someone to commit a breach is a breach of law in and of itself! The paries tek man fi idiot. Hypocrisy is the biggest sin in politics.

Senator: PNP should not contest by-elections

By PATRICK FOSTER Observer writer fosterp@jamaicaobserver.com
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
OPPOSITION spokesman on education, Senator Basil Waite yesterday hit out against his party contesting further by-elections in the dual citizenship fallout, saying that the party should instead concentrate on becoming a viable alternative to the Government.

"I think what the People's National Party (PNP) should be focussing on is developing policies, re-organising the movement to give a united and strong opposition to the country," Waite said at the Observer's weekly Monday Exchange meeting yesterday at the newspaper's Beechwood Avenue head office in Kingston.

Observer Senior Associate Editor Pete Sankey (left) looks on intently as Opposition Spokesman on Education Senator Basil Waite makes a point at yesterday's weekly Monday Exchange meeting held at the company's Beechwood Avenue offices. (Photo: Naphtali Junior)
"It is no secret that I am not in favour of the by-elections," Waite said. "I do not believe that we should be contesting them."

He contended that the party was lagging in rebuilding since losing the September 2007 general elections, citing the Meeks report, which he said, to date, has not been acted on.

"The organisation is like an old Bedford truck," Waite charged. "We need to refine, overhaul and renew the organisational machinery of the PNP and we have not done that."

He added: "We are now two years in Opposition. We need to look at how we recruit and train our candidates. We need to look at how we focus on integrity and a code of ethics in the PNP and we have not gotten there yet."

After its loss in 2007, the PNP pushed its case against four Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) members of parliament it charged had dual citizenship at the time of nomination for the September 2007 general elections.

Yesterday, Waite, who sits on the PNP National Executive Council (NEC) - the second highest decision-making body of the political party - argued that the dual citizenship challenges were to make the point that the Jamaican constitution should be upheld.

"I don't think the citizens should take it that it was about disturbing the will of the people; it was more about ensuring that we remain faithful to the constitution and we have proven that in the court," Waite said.

The court ruled that by-elections be held in two JLP-held constituencies - West Portland won by Douglas Vaz and North East St Catherine won by Gregory Mair - after the PNP lodged its petitions. Both Vaz and Mair staged emphatic landslide victories in the subsequent by-elections.

Two other constituencies held by the JLP - North West Clarendon and North East St Ann - are headed by MPs whose citizenships have been questioned, with Waite strongly opposing the party fielding candidates should elections be called.

He argued that having made the point on the constitution it was time to move on the 'Progressive Agenda' being formulated by the party and recommended in the Meeks report, but admitted that the party was not now united.

[Gamma]

let the people say...AMEN!

[Willi]

Sorry for the numerous typos...but ah who tell yuh seh mi a typist? LOL

Possumist maybe, but not typist. Hahahahaha

[Assasin]

Portia and her advisors are not politically smart either. After the beating in West Portland, they knew they were heading for another beating as the JLP use to carry this seat, the people support Muir, they had no real candidate or machinery behind them so they should have play the high handed game buy saying they will not contest any other and they were just defending the constitution.

They would have came out winners but they still pressed on. What would be embarrassing is if they lose in Azan town and then the JLP pick off Hayles seat. Also remember if Kern is charged that maybe an open seat too.

Portia had two oppurtunity to reshape the PNP and still hasn't. When she took over as PM she made no changes and after the election was the biggest oppurtunity to rebuild.

[MdmeX]

Maybe Portia is not a leader, merely a follower!

[Assasin]

But who she a follow? Eddie? she want a post up a UWI and UTECH too?

[Gamma]

shi a follow harself...that as mi granny woulda seh "is di 'trocity"!

[Willi]

and this:

Senator Nicholson's folly

Published: Tuesday | June 23, 2009



( l - r ) Nicholson, Patterson
The Editor, Sir:
Senator A.J. Nicholson, while being an undoubtedly successful lawyer, has fallen into the trap of using a principle in defence of his first position - the declaration of a public holiday after our qualification for the football World Cup - as that of the "tenets of the social school of jurisprudence", whilst completely ignoring it in his subsequent position within the same article - that of the resolution of those members of Parliament that may or may not be citizens with loyalty to a foreign power. (Sunday Gleaner, June 21)
I would like the senator to state clearly whether, under the then laws of Jamaica, the act of the then prime minister of Jamaica (P.J. Patterson) in declaring a public holiday for a date less than seven days after the announcement of such a public holiday was legal or illegal.
I can understand that the senator is upset that the words of the then prime minister, "The law is not a shackle to enslave; it is a tool of social engineering" have been truncated in the common lexicon. Maybe he believes that the latter part is excuse for the former.
Horrendous atrocities
The problem is that history is replete with examples of this sort of thinking in defence of the most horrendous atrocities that mankind has been able to devise and, in his innocence, maybe Senator Nicholson does not understand the fear that the first part of the statement (or for that matter the second part!) instils in the hearts of many. When it comes to the second part, there is little comfort for the majority of people if the social engineering that is spoken of is not compatible with the interests of the very people that the law, unshackled, is used against.
The fact of the matter, that the senator surely knows, if he can't admit, is that the granting of a national day of celebration less than seven days after the idea popped into the collective heads of the Government was not a matter of social engineering or even of national importance - it was sheer political expediency.
Peculiarly, however, although it is a matter of importance that we adhere to the "sociological school of jurisprudence" which is "less concerned with the nature and origin of law than with its actual functions, utility and end results", the noble senator is more concerned with the strict application of the law when it comes to the method, means and motive of the current Government's proposed route to the resolution of the problem of members of parliament who may be, for one reason or another, ineligible to be sitting in the Parliament.
Adequate provisions
In this case, the noble senator seems to be suggesting that the law should be a shackle; there are adequate provisions for doing what needs to be done and that the present Government should be following these provisions (Oops. it's too late to do so and the law is, of course, a shackle!).
I am not a lawyer, but the idea that "the integrity and composition of Parliament are ... matters to be resolved by Parliament itself" is frankly disgusting. The integrity and composition of the Parliament of this land are the sole prerogative of the people - no one else! The people are entitled to challenge that composition via the courts, the arbiters of the law. The law should be a shackle - a shackle on the Parliament and the shacklers are the members of the judiciary.
Let us have no more rubbish about how "the law is not a shackle to enslave; it is a tool of social engineering." The Government has no right or mandate to "socially engineer" anything without the authority of the people by whom they have been elected.
I am, etc.,
DAVID FARQUHARSON
david@nfevents.com
Hampden Trelawny

[Karl]

Portia and her advisors are not politically smart either. After the beating in West Portland, they knew they were heading for another beating as the JLP use to carry this seat, the people support Muir, they had no real candidate or machinery behind them so they should have play the high handed game buy saying they will not contest any other and they were just defending the constitution.

They would have came out winners but they still pressed on. What would be embarrassing is if they lose in Azan town and then the JLP pick off Hayles seat. Also remember if Kern is charged that maybe an open seat too.

Portia had two oppurtunity to reshape the PNP and still hasn't. When she took over as PM she made no changes and after the election was the biggest oppurtunity to rebuild.

Why embarrassing?
...and it stands to reason that we shall lose the Hayles and Azan seats if there are elections. The margin of victory suggests more motivate JLP will turn out in higher numbers...numbers sufficient to overturn the past PNP victorry...than the PNP voters who see that regardless of outcome the JLP remains the government.

[Willi]

You mean Sharon Hay-Webster!

Micheal Stern did beat Azan last time. Azan is the challenger.

That is why strategically it would have been better to accept the agreement and so keep the status quo. Now the PNP stand to see a decrease in their seat count and dont have any credible moral high ground to stand on.

I agree with Mo that the law IS a shackle and that under current rules they need to give up the dual passport or move on. However, i have no kudos for the PNP and their cynical handling of the whole thing.

[Assasin]

Willi all the PNP had to do after the West Portland election is either have an agreement with the JLP for the people to resign or get rid of citizenship within a time frame or unilaterally ask their people in question to resign and force Bruce hand. The later would be a wise political move.

Portia like Seaga think they have a devine right to rule so they fail to take the high ground sometimes. The constitution is the constitution and the courts have decided and it is time to move on.