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Published: Sunday | December 18, 20111 Comment
Simpson Miller
Daraine Luton, Senior Staff Reporter
PEOPLE'S NATIONAL Party (PNP) president Portia Simpson Miller has accused Andrew Holness of being untruthful in relation to statements he has made about garrison communities.
"I did not say I would not walk. I said to him, I am not into PR gimmickry. If you want me to walk with you, have a meeting with me to discuss the programmes that will be implemented in these communities after the walk," Simpson Miller said.
She was addressing party supporters in Spaldings, North West Clarendon, on Wednesday night.
Simpson Miller said that after Holness wrote to her inviting her to walk with him in so-called garrison communities, her response was that it had to be more than symbolism.
"When we meet just for the people to have our pictures all over, the lives of the people remain the same. I want to see transformation of these communities and transformation of lives; how we can lift the standard of living of the people on these communities to transform the inner cities into winner cities," she said.
"I saw him after I replied to his letter and he said to me 'yuh not walking with me Mom', and I said you have not indicated when we will meet to have discussions about what will be done, the programmes. He said, 'OK, you will hear from me soon.'
misleading the Jamaicans
"I have not heard from him. All I have heard is him running up his mouth on the platform," she added.
"Stop misleading the Jamaican people. Enough is enough. You have done enough of that already," Simpson Miller demanded.
Prime Minister Holness had declared in Manchester on November 18 that he intended to write "a little letter penned to send back to her to say yes, I agree, we are going to deal with the constituencies there".
He also stopped short of accusing Simpson Miller of being an underperforming MP.
"If you have a constituency for 30-odd years and you are just coming to me now to tell me that I must deal with the conditions inside there for you. No, that can't work," Holness said.
He argued that the PNP is unwilling to dismantle garrisons because it would significantly erode the party's support base.
Meanwhile, Simpson Miller said in Spalding that she does not "regard any area in my constituency as a garrison. I have inner-city communities with challenges like everywhere else."
"I would wish for him, who wants to lead a country, to stop the stigmatisation of communities and the people living within these communities."
daraine.luton@gleanerjm.com
Simpson Miller
Daraine Luton, Senior Staff Reporter
PEOPLE'S NATIONAL Party (PNP) president Portia Simpson Miller has accused Andrew Holness of being untruthful in relation to statements he has made about garrison communities.
"I did not say I would not walk. I said to him, I am not into PR gimmickry. If you want me to walk with you, have a meeting with me to discuss the programmes that will be implemented in these communities after the walk," Simpson Miller said.
She was addressing party supporters in Spaldings, North West Clarendon, on Wednesday night.
Simpson Miller said that after Holness wrote to her inviting her to walk with him in so-called garrison communities, her response was that it had to be more than symbolism.
"When we meet just for the people to have our pictures all over, the lives of the people remain the same. I want to see transformation of these communities and transformation of lives; how we can lift the standard of living of the people on these communities to transform the inner cities into winner cities," she said.
"I saw him after I replied to his letter and he said to me 'yuh not walking with me Mom', and I said you have not indicated when we will meet to have discussions about what will be done, the programmes. He said, 'OK, you will hear from me soon.'
misleading the Jamaicans
"I have not heard from him. All I have heard is him running up his mouth on the platform," she added.
"Stop misleading the Jamaican people. Enough is enough. You have done enough of that already," Simpson Miller demanded.
Prime Minister Holness had declared in Manchester on November 18 that he intended to write "a little letter penned to send back to her to say yes, I agree, we are going to deal with the constituencies there".
He also stopped short of accusing Simpson Miller of being an underperforming MP.
"If you have a constituency for 30-odd years and you are just coming to me now to tell me that I must deal with the conditions inside there for you. No, that can't work," Holness said.
He argued that the PNP is unwilling to dismantle garrisons because it would significantly erode the party's support base.
Meanwhile, Simpson Miller said in Spalding that she does not "regard any area in my constituency as a garrison. I have inner-city communities with challenges like everywhere else."
"I would wish for him, who wants to lead a country, to stop the stigmatisation of communities and the people living within these communities."
daraine.luton@gleanerjm.com