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No Apology, No Resignation
Published: Monday | May 17, 20100 Comments and 0 Reactions
Prime Minister Bruce Golding (right) strategises with Sports Minister Olivia Grange and party Chairman Dr Ken Baugh, the deputy PM, at Sandals Grande yesterday. The PM did not face the press yesterday and security officials often blocked photographers. - Ian Allen/Photographer
Daraine Luton, Senior Staff Reporter
Prime Minister Bruce Golding will tonight face the nation in a televised address less than 24 hours after the Central Executive - the nerve centre of his governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) - snubbed calls for him to quit because of an about-face on wranglings involving an alleged gangster.
The JLP has instead turned its attention to detractors who, it said, were attempting to crucify the self-proclaimed 'chief servant'. It argued that he did nothing wrong in the controversy surrounding the United States extradition request for Christopher 'Dudus' Coke - wanted in the United States on drug and gun charges - and the contracting of the US law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips.
This sparked an immediate angry response from the Opposition People's National Party.
"The statements by both JLP officers at a press conference yesterday reflect an outrageous contempt and disregard for the Jamaican people and the powerful positions expressed by several national and civil-society groups," said Opposition Leader Portia Simpson Miller.
She said the statements were also "indicative of disregard for the established traditions of our democracy".
According to Simpson Miller, the JLP had exhibited a lack of understanding that public confidence and consent were the foundation of a legitimate democracy.
The opposition leader was responding to JLP General Secretary Karl Samuda and Chairman Dr Ken Baugh, who earlier told a post-Central Executive press briefing in Ocho Rios, St Ann, that Golding was not stepping down.
According to Samuda, Golding did not lie to Parliament, and he argued that calls for the PM's head were coming because he was standing up to the US in a matter involving Coke.
"We must not seek to crucify the prime minister because he defends the laws of the land simply because you don't like the person who is involved at this time. At no time, to my certain knowledge, has he ever attempted to defend the activities that led to the request for extradition," argued Samuda.
But that seemed at odds with the pronouncement by Baugh that Golding offered his resignation "because it was the right thing to do".
Baugh said the party rejected Golding's resignation but gave no explanation why that decision was made if, indeed, "it was the right thing to do".
Golding has been under pressure since last Tuesday when he admitted in Parliament that he, as party leader, sanctioned a move by the JLP to engage Manatt, Phelps & Phillips to lobby the US State Department on the extradition request for 'Dudus'.
However, Samuda yesterday argued that all aspects of the Manatt mess and the extradition issue were considered by the party.
According to Samuda, the endorsement of Golding was unanimous.
"We realise that there has been a fundamental weakness in the way we have communicated the facts of this issue to the public. For that, we may stand indicted. However, we do not feel that rises to the level that requires the resignation of the prime minister," Samuda said.
According to the JLP general secretary, he was aware that the people of Jamaica were extremely disappointed. He also sought to defend the party's involvement in the matter.
According to Samuda, the JLP did not enter into discussions with Manatt to get the US government to withdraw its request for Coke's extradition. He said the engagement was to establish meaningful dialogue, which was missing because there was an obvious conflict.
"What we sought to do was to get assistance in influencing those decision makers as to how best to approach the breach of the treaty which has occurred."
Meanwhile, Baugh insisted that Golding has opened the microphone to dissenting voices within the JLP.
"The prime minister has encouraged his team to speak openly and very frankly to him so that he can have a good feel of the deeper sentiments of the members of the Jamaica Labour Party. So far, the outcome is very supportive of the prime minister, a refusal to accept any resignation from him," Baugh said.
He added: "The body politic of this party feels that very important initiatives have been started and that they have been highly successful and that they are transformative and augur well for the future of this country," he added.
daraine.luton@gleanerjm.com
Published: Monday | May 17, 20100 Comments and 0 Reactions
Prime Minister Bruce Golding (right) strategises with Sports Minister Olivia Grange and party Chairman Dr Ken Baugh, the deputy PM, at Sandals Grande yesterday. The PM did not face the press yesterday and security officials often blocked photographers. - Ian Allen/Photographer
Daraine Luton, Senior Staff Reporter
Prime Minister Bruce Golding will tonight face the nation in a televised address less than 24 hours after the Central Executive - the nerve centre of his governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) - snubbed calls for him to quit because of an about-face on wranglings involving an alleged gangster.
The JLP has instead turned its attention to detractors who, it said, were attempting to crucify the self-proclaimed 'chief servant'. It argued that he did nothing wrong in the controversy surrounding the United States extradition request for Christopher 'Dudus' Coke - wanted in the United States on drug and gun charges - and the contracting of the US law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips.
This sparked an immediate angry response from the Opposition People's National Party.
"The statements by both JLP officers at a press conference yesterday reflect an outrageous contempt and disregard for the Jamaican people and the powerful positions expressed by several national and civil-society groups," said Opposition Leader Portia Simpson Miller.
She said the statements were also "indicative of disregard for the established traditions of our democracy".
According to Simpson Miller, the JLP had exhibited a lack of understanding that public confidence and consent were the foundation of a legitimate democracy.
The opposition leader was responding to JLP General Secretary Karl Samuda and Chairman Dr Ken Baugh, who earlier told a post-Central Executive press briefing in Ocho Rios, St Ann, that Golding was not stepping down.
According to Samuda, Golding did not lie to Parliament, and he argued that calls for the PM's head were coming because he was standing up to the US in a matter involving Coke.
"We must not seek to crucify the prime minister because he defends the laws of the land simply because you don't like the person who is involved at this time. At no time, to my certain knowledge, has he ever attempted to defend the activities that led to the request for extradition," argued Samuda.
But that seemed at odds with the pronouncement by Baugh that Golding offered his resignation "because it was the right thing to do".
Baugh said the party rejected Golding's resignation but gave no explanation why that decision was made if, indeed, "it was the right thing to do".
Golding has been under pressure since last Tuesday when he admitted in Parliament that he, as party leader, sanctioned a move by the JLP to engage Manatt, Phelps & Phillips to lobby the US State Department on the extradition request for 'Dudus'.
However, Samuda yesterday argued that all aspects of the Manatt mess and the extradition issue were considered by the party.
According to Samuda, the endorsement of Golding was unanimous.
"We realise that there has been a fundamental weakness in the way we have communicated the facts of this issue to the public. For that, we may stand indicted. However, we do not feel that rises to the level that requires the resignation of the prime minister," Samuda said.
According to the JLP general secretary, he was aware that the people of Jamaica were extremely disappointed. He also sought to defend the party's involvement in the matter.
According to Samuda, the JLP did not enter into discussions with Manatt to get the US government to withdraw its request for Coke's extradition. He said the engagement was to establish meaningful dialogue, which was missing because there was an obvious conflict.
"What we sought to do was to get assistance in influencing those decision makers as to how best to approach the breach of the treaty which has occurred."
Meanwhile, Baugh insisted that Golding has opened the microphone to dissenting voices within the JLP.
"The prime minister has encouraged his team to speak openly and very frankly to him so that he can have a good feel of the deeper sentiments of the members of the Jamaica Labour Party. So far, the outcome is very supportive of the prime minister, a refusal to accept any resignation from him," Baugh said.
He added: "The body politic of this party feels that very important initiatives have been started and that they have been highly successful and that they are transformative and augur well for the future of this country," he added.
daraine.luton@gleanerjm.com
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