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WikiLeaks document says Phillips labelled Simpson Miller a ‘disaster’
Thursday, July 07, 2011
JUST under a year after the People's National Party (PNP) lost power to the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), Dr Peter Phillips agreed with a United States official that Jamaica risked becoming like Haiti if the Government failed in its reform efforts and if Portia Simpson Miller, whom he called a "disaster" for the country, was returned to power, according to a US diplomatic cable made public by WikiLeaks.
The cable, dated July 8, 2008, also said that when the US officer asked Phillips if he would ever serve in another Simpson Miller-led government, the former national security minister stated that he never says never, but his answer is "no; it would simply be too distasteful".
PHILLIPS… failed twice to win PNP leadership
Efforts to reach Phillips last night for a comment on the matter were unsuccessful.
Phillips mounted a challenge to Simpson Miller that same month, reopening wounds in the PNP that never fully healed after the 2006 presidential race in which she triumphed over Phillips, Dr Omar Davies and Dr Karl Blythe.
The party went into the 2007 general elections divided, a factor which was blamed for its loss after 18 years in power.
The US cable said that Phillips continued to "mull over whether to challenge Simpson Miller for control of the PNP during its party congress in September", even as he acknowledged that a recent poll showing her as more popular than Prime Minister Bruce Golding hampered his (Phillips's) ability to challenge her for the leadership.
"Phillips stated that it was an astonishing possibility that the PNP, after 'running the country into the ground for the last eighteen years', could possibly come back to power," the cable said.
"According to Phillips, Simpson Miller, who was in a political 'free fall' after the PNP's defeat in September 2007, has been energised by the most recent poll numbers," the cable added.
According to the cable, the US official wrote that Phillips stated that he was thoroughly disappointed with the across-the-board "ineptness" of Golding's government and placed the blame squarely at Golding's feet for the results of the poll indicating that Simpson Miller had gained ground and was more popular than Golding.
The cable said that in the discussion between Phillips and the US official, which occurred on June 27, Phillips "was in a relaxed and talkative mode", compared to when he was the national security minister, at which time he "could be quite guarded".
The US official, the document said, had the opportunity to speak with Phillips about a broad range of topics, including his views on the seeming inability of the Government of Jamaica to make headway against spiralling violent crime.
According to the cable, when the US official asked Phillips' opinion of an assessment of Jamaica's future, which she (the US official) had heard from several prominent Jamaicans -- that Jamaica sits at a precipice, and unless drastic measures are taken in short order then in five, maximum 10 years Jamaica could become the "English-speaking Haiti" -- Phillips, "perhaps because he is now in Opposition... surprisingly not only did not reject this comparison, he agreed with it".
Added the diplomatic note: "Phillips's dislike of Simpson Miller, insistence that he would not serve in another government run by her, and harsh criticism of the PNP's 18-year reign seem to smack a bit of convenient amnesia, as he served as minister without a portfolio, minister of special projects, minister of transport and works, minister of health, and minister of national security over successive PNP terms in power from 1993 to 2007. However, as minister of national security, Phillips was regarded as a capable administrator of the ministry and as a friend to the United States on crime and security matters.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...#ixzz1RPJ7arp1
WikiLeaks document says Phillips labelled Simpson Miller a ‘disaster’
Thursday, July 07, 2011
JUST under a year after the People's National Party (PNP) lost power to the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), Dr Peter Phillips agreed with a United States official that Jamaica risked becoming like Haiti if the Government failed in its reform efforts and if Portia Simpson Miller, whom he called a "disaster" for the country, was returned to power, according to a US diplomatic cable made public by WikiLeaks.
The cable, dated July 8, 2008, also said that when the US officer asked Phillips if he would ever serve in another Simpson Miller-led government, the former national security minister stated that he never says never, but his answer is "no; it would simply be too distasteful".
PHILLIPS… failed twice to win PNP leadership
Efforts to reach Phillips last night for a comment on the matter were unsuccessful.
Phillips mounted a challenge to Simpson Miller that same month, reopening wounds in the PNP that never fully healed after the 2006 presidential race in which she triumphed over Phillips, Dr Omar Davies and Dr Karl Blythe.
The party went into the 2007 general elections divided, a factor which was blamed for its loss after 18 years in power.
The US cable said that Phillips continued to "mull over whether to challenge Simpson Miller for control of the PNP during its party congress in September", even as he acknowledged that a recent poll showing her as more popular than Prime Minister Bruce Golding hampered his (Phillips's) ability to challenge her for the leadership.
"Phillips stated that it was an astonishing possibility that the PNP, after 'running the country into the ground for the last eighteen years', could possibly come back to power," the cable said.
"According to Phillips, Simpson Miller, who was in a political 'free fall' after the PNP's defeat in September 2007, has been energised by the most recent poll numbers," the cable added.
According to the cable, the US official wrote that Phillips stated that he was thoroughly disappointed with the across-the-board "ineptness" of Golding's government and placed the blame squarely at Golding's feet for the results of the poll indicating that Simpson Miller had gained ground and was more popular than Golding.
The cable said that in the discussion between Phillips and the US official, which occurred on June 27, Phillips "was in a relaxed and talkative mode", compared to when he was the national security minister, at which time he "could be quite guarded".
The US official, the document said, had the opportunity to speak with Phillips about a broad range of topics, including his views on the seeming inability of the Government of Jamaica to make headway against spiralling violent crime.
According to the cable, when the US official asked Phillips' opinion of an assessment of Jamaica's future, which she (the US official) had heard from several prominent Jamaicans -- that Jamaica sits at a precipice, and unless drastic measures are taken in short order then in five, maximum 10 years Jamaica could become the "English-speaking Haiti" -- Phillips, "perhaps because he is now in Opposition... surprisingly not only did not reject this comparison, he agreed with it".
Added the diplomatic note: "Phillips's dislike of Simpson Miller, insistence that he would not serve in another government run by her, and harsh criticism of the PNP's 18-year reign seem to smack a bit of convenient amnesia, as he served as minister without a portfolio, minister of special projects, minister of transport and works, minister of health, and minister of national security over successive PNP terms in power from 1993 to 2007. However, as minister of national security, Phillips was regarded as a capable administrator of the ministry and as a friend to the United States on crime and security matters.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...#ixzz1RPJ7arp1
... I wonder if we can have our own spy novel? Phillips .... Peter Phillips.
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