Tweet
So if a prolonged SOE is not good then why reject the PNP offer of 7 days or 15 days and demand 30 or nothing? Because you wanted nothing?
Bottom line is that JLP wanted the SOE lifted from Tivoli that is what killed the extension!
State of Emergency could not continue indefinitely — PM
Friday, July 30, 2010
var addthis_pub="jamaicaobserver";
PRIME Minister Bruce Golding, despite being disappointed that Government did not get the Opposition's support for an extension of the limited State of Emergency, said the country could not rely on the measure to achieve ongoing law and order.
"We were very clear in our minds that the State of Emergency could not continue indefinitely; it could not continue for any prolonged period of time because a society must never become accustomed to living under emergency powers. It is not good.
"It is not good for the security forces to become so accustomed to relying on security powers that it becomes the routine means of dealing with criminal behaviour, but there is no doubt that the security forces started a mighty job and they achieved some positive results," Golding said on his monthly radio programme Jamaica House Live on Wednesday night.
Golding later told a female caller, who spoke in support of an extension of the State of Emergency, that he would not use legal techniques to defy getting the people's permission through a parliamentary majority.
"The Constitution allows the Cabinet to advise the governor general to impose a State of Emergency for a period not exceeding one month. Any further extension must be approved by Parliament and if Parliament took a decision not to approve a further extension I would tread very cautiously about using the technical route to say, well we can impose a new State of Emergency, because in effect it would be a defiance of Parliament.
"...There would have to be extraordinary reasons that would arise, subsequent to the expiration, for me to feel that I am on strong constitutional grounds to summon Cabinet to seek Cabinet's authorisation and thereafter to advise the governor general," said the prime minister.
The Opposition People's National Party abstained from a vote seeking to extend the limited State of Emergency in Kingston, St Andrew and St Catherine for a further month, despite Government's insistence that the one-month extension was being sought by the heads of the police and army.
The emergency was first imposed in Kingston and St Andrew on May 23 after gunmen said to be loyal to former Tivoli Gardens strongman Christopher 'Dudus' Coke burnt two police stations in the capital, Kingston, and attacked members of the security forces, as they tried to prevent the serving of an arrest warrant on Coke.
Coke, who eluded several police dragnets, was captured along the Mandela Highway in St Catherine. He subsequently waived his right to an extradition hearing and was sent to the United States where he is now facing gun and drug-trafficking charges.
Bottom line is that JLP wanted the SOE lifted from Tivoli that is what killed the extension!
State of Emergency could not continue indefinitely — PM
Friday, July 30, 2010
var addthis_pub="jamaicaobserver";
PRIME Minister Bruce Golding, despite being disappointed that Government did not get the Opposition's support for an extension of the limited State of Emergency, said the country could not rely on the measure to achieve ongoing law and order.
"We were very clear in our minds that the State of Emergency could not continue indefinitely; it could not continue for any prolonged period of time because a society must never become accustomed to living under emergency powers. It is not good.
"It is not good for the security forces to become so accustomed to relying on security powers that it becomes the routine means of dealing with criminal behaviour, but there is no doubt that the security forces started a mighty job and they achieved some positive results," Golding said on his monthly radio programme Jamaica House Live on Wednesday night.
Golding later told a female caller, who spoke in support of an extension of the State of Emergency, that he would not use legal techniques to defy getting the people's permission through a parliamentary majority.
"The Constitution allows the Cabinet to advise the governor general to impose a State of Emergency for a period not exceeding one month. Any further extension must be approved by Parliament and if Parliament took a decision not to approve a further extension I would tread very cautiously about using the technical route to say, well we can impose a new State of Emergency, because in effect it would be a defiance of Parliament.
"...There would have to be extraordinary reasons that would arise, subsequent to the expiration, for me to feel that I am on strong constitutional grounds to summon Cabinet to seek Cabinet's authorisation and thereafter to advise the governor general," said the prime minister.
The Opposition People's National Party abstained from a vote seeking to extend the limited State of Emergency in Kingston, St Andrew and St Catherine for a further month, despite Government's insistence that the one-month extension was being sought by the heads of the police and army.
The emergency was first imposed in Kingston and St Andrew on May 23 after gunmen said to be loyal to former Tivoli Gardens strongman Christopher 'Dudus' Coke burnt two police stations in the capital, Kingston, and attacked members of the security forces, as they tried to prevent the serving of an arrest warrant on Coke.
Coke, who eluded several police dragnets, was captured along the Mandela Highway in St Catherine. He subsequently waived his right to an extradition hearing and was sent to the United States where he is now facing gun and drug-trafficking charges.
Comment