JLPNP agree to ignore the law

[ReggaeMike]

This just sums up why neither party, nor any individual who is associated with either party, should be returned come the next elections. Having supposedly agreed to turn a blind-eye to blatant violations of the supreme law of the land these folks then expect to make said land a better place? No country on earth has ever been a nice place to make a living and raise a family in which there isn't the general rule of law. Certainly in Singapore (one of those countries people like to compare Jamaica to and seem to make much over the fact that at one point Singapore looked at Jamaica as a model - the truth is far more complicated and far less flattering though) something like this would not have happened:

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...p-deal_7812572

JLP/PNP dual citizenship deal
Parties to withdraw cases to avoid ‘costly’ by-elections
BY PAUL HENRY Observer staff reporter henryp@jamaicaobserver.com
Tuesday, July 20, 2010


THE ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the Opposition People's National Party (PNP) have agreed to bury the dual citizenship hatchet, to eliminate the need for "costly" by-elections.

Impeccable Observer sources said last night that the parties had reached a deal that would end the legal battles over the alleged dual citizenship of two of their parliamentarians.....read more at the Jamaica Observer website.

[Mosiah]

yes, this is madness.

[Assasin]

PNP Bruk. Them have fi say the little money fi real election not byelection. JLP can't tek no more chance.

So much for the constitution. A wonder how this is explained to the Jamaican people?

[Mosiah]

i cuss each and every one of the politicians who violated the constitution and put us all in this mess. and some even have the nerve to take their illegal asses to court to fight their illegality!

[Hortical]

And yuh waan the PNP fi go 0-4 in another by-election? Dem fi give this ting a break and the average person nuh care bout dual citizenship anyway.

[ReggaeMike]

PNP Bruk. Them have fi say the little money fi real election not byelection. JLP can't tek no more chance.

So much for the constitution. A wonder how this is explained to the Jamaican people?

Firstly, the majority of Jamaican people probably wouldn't care or would view entirely through partisan lenses (just read some of the comments to the article at the Observer website). For those who might be concerned, but are gullible enough this would be the explanation (as detailed in the story):

Last night, the Observer source, who asked not to be named because of a gag order on those involved in the negotiations, gave some insight into the matter.

"The argument is going to be that it is costing the country too much for by-elections and that the persons involved have already renounced their (US) citizenship. And there is no sense, in terms of going forward, because the country cannot take it (by-elections) at this time," said the source.

Robinson's lawyer, Nesta-Clair Smith, said she was unable to speak on the matter as she was not privy to talks at the "political level".

Note though that apparently the country cannot afford these costly byelections (which wouldn't have been needed had everybody from both parties decided to follow the law in the first place - the cost of those elections should be borne by the people who violated the rules), yet the country can somehow afford a US$340 million loan from China (more than 3 times the cost of the byelections to date) which on the surface cannot be paid back from the special tax for roads (otherwise why take up the loan instead of simply using the tax directly?).

[ReggaeMike]

And yuh waan the PNP fi go 0-4 in another by-election? Dem fi give this ting a break and the average person nuh care bout dual citizenship anyway.

Sass, QED.

[Don1]

ReggaeMike

Note though that apparently the country cannot afford these costly byelections (which wouldn't have been needed had everybody from both parties decided to follow the law in the first place - the cost of those elections should be borne by the people who violated the rules), yet the country can somehow afford a US$340 million loan from China (more than 3 times the cost of the byelections to date) which on the surface cannot be paid back from the special tax for roads (otherwise why take up the loan instead of simply using the tax directly?).

yuh nuh hear seh di money is win back powa fi showa? Doan tell mi yuh nuh tink it worth dat.

Dat ah monkey money. LoL!

[MissLondon]

They didn't care about the law in the first place. I'm sure dual citizens have been sitting in parliament for decades. It was used as a means to get back into power, it failed and now they realise its not worth the trouble.

[Willi]

it a gwaan fi years!

All of a sudden it reach courthouse. Why?

[Assasin]

The country can't afford it or the PNP can't? Them never take it into consideration after Vaz won his seat? They still pressed ahead. An agreement was on the table from then.

The last time I check they said a the constitution they were defending.
If we a take the out, take them all out.

[ReggaeMike]

it a gwaan fi years!

All of a sudden it reach courthouse. Why?

Why? Why not? That's like saying a some little girls and boys have been abused for years by their guardians at a nursery but all of sudden it reaching courthouse and then asking "why?"

Who cares why? It is obviously illegal and this move is obviously corrupt. If they don't like it they can change the law, but to keep the law and ignore it is the worst possible thing they could do.

[Willi]

I care.

Even if in your analogy if the abuse just reach court, it could be because one jealous/aggrieved abuser buss on the other. I want to know fi ketch dem both. Circumstances do MATTER.

Stop the highhanded foolishness. It only reach courthouse because of political strategy. In other words politicians trying to manipulate when they dont really give a damn about principle. I am not inclined to reward that kind of cynical behaviour!

[Willi]

Run dem. Dem trying to pull a fast one when history shows they have been massively at fault for flouting this and other similar parliamentary laws. Fact is the laws are outdated and should be changed in any rationally structured society.

Point noted and next time we aggo watch dem all. But no benefits should accrue to a cynically manipulative whistleblower that is an equal historical partner in violation.

[ReggaeMike]

I care.

Even if in your analogy if the abuse just reach court, it could be because one jealous/aggrieved abuser buss on the other. I want to know fi ketch dem both. Circumstances do MATTER.

Good point, however both parties had already been caught out (which is what you wanted), so you will have to forgive me if I interpreted your "why" to be like what blind partisans (see the comments section to the article at the Observer website) would say when they wish to discredit a process/action to divert attention from subject of the process/action.

Stop the highhanded foolishness. It only reach courthouse because of political strategy. In other words politicians trying to manipulate when they dont really give a damn about principle. I am not inclined to reward that kind of cynical behaviour!

It wasn't highhanded (that was your assumption). You also assumed (incorrectly) that not being interested in the "why" automatically translated into rewarding the cynical behaviour of these low-life politicians. Neither set was being rewarded as they were both pursuing cases against each other.