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COLONEL TREVOR MacMillan, a retired soldier, former commissioner of police and senator who had a short stint as national security minister, says the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the People's National Party (PNP) have put party ahead of the country.
In a forthright interview with The Gleaner, MacMillan says both major political parties appear reluctant to tackle intractable problems such as the dismantling of garrison communities and, issues linked to government contracts.
"Instead of putting Jamaica first ,and I speak now of both parties, they put party first. They say that if they don't win elections they can't do things that would put the party first. As far as I am concerned, the party cannot be first, Jamaica must be first," he insists.
"The problem is with subcontractors and we recommended, and I don't think any party wants to touch it, we recommended that to get a subcontract you should be cleared in the same way you clear a contractor, but nobody is touching it," he declares.
Asked whether he agitated for the implementation of these recommendations when he was minister, MacMillan indicated that he had been pushing for the acceptance of these proposals.
"I was, but that is not me, I don't go on the street and shout, I did it the way I learned to do it in the army, so I am not a politician. Politicians will go and say what they are doing," he says.
A key recommendation crafted by MacMillan and members of the Special Task Force on Crime convened by then leader of the opposition, Bruce Golding, has apparently not been given serious consideration by either the JLP or PNP.
Sweeping recommendations
The report which was completed in 2006 and received much support from ordinary Jamaicans, the private sector and members of civil society, made sweeping recommendations in relation to government contracts and dismantling of garrison communities.
A critical recommendation in what has been dubbed 'Road map to a safe and secure Jamaica' insisted on the promotion of transparency in Government contracts.
In particular, the document says that all contracts and subcontracts regardless of the sum involved must be awarded only to contractors that are on lists approved by the contractor general.
It further states that contractors must be required to "name themselves and to list all subcontractors on a notice board at the site during the period of construction" and at least one year after.
These efforts, according to the road map, would help to plug the "present loophole" that allows registered contractors to sub-contract to firms that are fronts for criminal enterprises.
But MacMillan questioned the inaction of respective Governments as it relates to this burning issue.
With more than 1,500 Jamaicans murdered since the start of the year, the former national security minister says there is no magic wand to solving the crime problem in Jamaica.
Coordinated approach
He asserts that in 1962, the year Jamaica gained Independence from Britain, the country recorded 70 murders. MacMillan points out that after the election the murder rate increased by about 10 per cent.
"If you look at the crime figures, every time there is a change of Government, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1976, 1980, the numbers increase. I have asked the university intellectuals to look at it and tell me why," he questioned.
As the Public Service Commis-sion mulls the appointment of a new commissioner of police, MacMillan says no commissioner or national security minister by himself can clear up crime.
"The crime problem has to be dealt with on several fronts. It has to be dealt with through the education system, community systems, the army and police and other critical institutions of the state. It has to be a coordinated approach," he insisted.
"Each party that wins an election, one of the vows they have made was to bring down crime. The fact is, crime goes up. None of them have been able to bring it down from 1962 to now."
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In a forthright interview with The Gleaner, MacMillan says both major political parties appear reluctant to tackle intractable problems such as the dismantling of garrison communities and, issues linked to government contracts.
"Instead of putting Jamaica first ,and I speak now of both parties, they put party first. They say that if they don't win elections they can't do things that would put the party first. As far as I am concerned, the party cannot be first, Jamaica must be first," he insists.
"The problem is with subcontractors and we recommended, and I don't think any party wants to touch it, we recommended that to get a subcontract you should be cleared in the same way you clear a contractor, but nobody is touching it," he declares.
Asked whether he agitated for the implementation of these recommendations when he was minister, MacMillan indicated that he had been pushing for the acceptance of these proposals.
"I was, but that is not me, I don't go on the street and shout, I did it the way I learned to do it in the army, so I am not a politician. Politicians will go and say what they are doing," he says.
A key recommendation crafted by MacMillan and members of the Special Task Force on Crime convened by then leader of the opposition, Bruce Golding, has apparently not been given serious consideration by either the JLP or PNP.
Sweeping recommendations
The report which was completed in 2006 and received much support from ordinary Jamaicans, the private sector and members of civil society, made sweeping recommendations in relation to government contracts and dismantling of garrison communities.
A critical recommendation in what has been dubbed 'Road map to a safe and secure Jamaica' insisted on the promotion of transparency in Government contracts.
In particular, the document says that all contracts and subcontracts regardless of the sum involved must be awarded only to contractors that are on lists approved by the contractor general.
It further states that contractors must be required to "name themselves and to list all subcontractors on a notice board at the site during the period of construction" and at least one year after.
These efforts, according to the road map, would help to plug the "present loophole" that allows registered contractors to sub-contract to firms that are fronts for criminal enterprises.
But MacMillan questioned the inaction of respective Governments as it relates to this burning issue.
With more than 1,500 Jamaicans murdered since the start of the year, the former national security minister says there is no magic wand to solving the crime problem in Jamaica.
Coordinated approach
He asserts that in 1962, the year Jamaica gained Independence from Britain, the country recorded 70 murders. MacMillan points out that after the election the murder rate increased by about 10 per cent.
"If you look at the crime figures, every time there is a change of Government, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1976, 1980, the numbers increase. I have asked the university intellectuals to look at it and tell me why," he questioned.
As the Public Service Commis-sion mulls the appointment of a new commissioner of police, MacMillan says no commissioner or national security minister by himself can clear up crime.
"The crime problem has to be dealt with on several fronts. It has to be dealt with through the education system, community systems, the army and police and other critical institutions of the state. It has to be a coordinated approach," he insisted.
"Each party that wins an election, one of the vows they have made was to bring down crime. The fact is, crime goes up. None of them have been able to bring it down from 1962 to now."
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/glean...ad/lead12.html
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