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Published: Sunday | December 18, 20111 Comment
Former Prime Minister Bruce Golding (centre) greets Prime Minister Andrew Holness (right), at a party meeting.- FILE '
Gary Spaulding, Senior Gleaner Writer
The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) appears to be stung by the People's National Party (PNP) labelling of Prime Minister Andrew Holness on the campaign trail as 'Baby Bruce'.
"It is a vulgar and insulting attempt to characterise the Prime Minister as Baby Bruce," declared JLP Campaign Director Karl Samuda.
He characterised as redundant the PNP approach to campaign, accusing the party of unfairly attempting to link the past administration led by Bruce Golding to the new Holness Government.
Making reference to events of last week which placed his party on the defensive, Samuda accused the PNP of attempting to draw on the suggestion that the Government is lying by trying to make a linkage between the present and former administration.
"The PNP has adopted a national programme or strategy to spread propaganda in order to distract the attention of the Jamaican people from their inability to put forward any proposal for the development of the country," charged Samuda.
distractions
He conceded that the events of last week, including the spy plane controversy, have served as distractions, but maintained that the campaign had not been derailed in any way.
"It has been a distraction, but I don't think it has affected us in any fundamental way or has any effects on our programme," Samuda told The Sunday Gleaner. "We are all well on our way, and we will not allow ourselves to be disrupted by the antics of the PNP."
What started out as an altercation with sections of the media as a result of comments made by Holness on a political platform quickly gave way to a midweek altercation involving Dwight Nelson in the South East St Andrew constituency for which he is the JLP standard-bearer.
Nelson was again captured under the glare of his claim that he was not aware that a US surveillance aircraft hovered above West Kingston during the military incursion of May 2010.
Samuda said while he had no intention of fighting with the media, he was baffled by the choice of the battles in which the Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) chose to be engaged. "In 2007, Portia Simpson Miller's outburst on the media on a public platform was disgraceful, to say the least, but nothing was heard from the PAJ, but I don't remember anyone accusing her of anything."
plane issue no big deal
He also came out in defence of Nelson's explanation on the spy plane issue and scoffed at calls for him to resign. "It is absolute nonsense because there is no advantage to be gained by lying about the use of a specially equipped aircraft, owned by the United States," said Samuda. "It is expected that from time to time we would call on the US to use their expert knowledge and facilities to help us."
Samuda said the minister simply indicated that he was not aware of the details of the arrangements as it was not a matter in which his ministry was directly involved. "He was saying that he was not aware or that the ministry was made aware of the use of an aircraft and that he has been at pains to indicate that this was a Ministry of Defence matter," said Samuda.
"The last time I checked, the US is very friendly and relies on us and we on them in the fight against the narcotics trade, illegal trading in drugs, and they continue to provide expert advice and the provision of facilities. It has established the fact that we have this cooperation, so what's the big deal."
gary.spaulding@gleanerjm.com
Former Prime Minister Bruce Golding (centre) greets Prime Minister Andrew Holness (right), at a party meeting.- FILE '
Gary Spaulding, Senior Gleaner Writer
The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) appears to be stung by the People's National Party (PNP) labelling of Prime Minister Andrew Holness on the campaign trail as 'Baby Bruce'.
"It is a vulgar and insulting attempt to characterise the Prime Minister as Baby Bruce," declared JLP Campaign Director Karl Samuda.
He characterised as redundant the PNP approach to campaign, accusing the party of unfairly attempting to link the past administration led by Bruce Golding to the new Holness Government.
Making reference to events of last week which placed his party on the defensive, Samuda accused the PNP of attempting to draw on the suggestion that the Government is lying by trying to make a linkage between the present and former administration.
"The PNP has adopted a national programme or strategy to spread propaganda in order to distract the attention of the Jamaican people from their inability to put forward any proposal for the development of the country," charged Samuda.
distractions
He conceded that the events of last week, including the spy plane controversy, have served as distractions, but maintained that the campaign had not been derailed in any way.
"It has been a distraction, but I don't think it has affected us in any fundamental way or has any effects on our programme," Samuda told The Sunday Gleaner. "We are all well on our way, and we will not allow ourselves to be disrupted by the antics of the PNP."
What started out as an altercation with sections of the media as a result of comments made by Holness on a political platform quickly gave way to a midweek altercation involving Dwight Nelson in the South East St Andrew constituency for which he is the JLP standard-bearer.
Nelson was again captured under the glare of his claim that he was not aware that a US surveillance aircraft hovered above West Kingston during the military incursion of May 2010.
Samuda said while he had no intention of fighting with the media, he was baffled by the choice of the battles in which the Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) chose to be engaged. "In 2007, Portia Simpson Miller's outburst on the media on a public platform was disgraceful, to say the least, but nothing was heard from the PAJ, but I don't remember anyone accusing her of anything."
plane issue no big deal
He also came out in defence of Nelson's explanation on the spy plane issue and scoffed at calls for him to resign. "It is absolute nonsense because there is no advantage to be gained by lying about the use of a specially equipped aircraft, owned by the United States," said Samuda. "It is expected that from time to time we would call on the US to use their expert knowledge and facilities to help us."
Samuda said the minister simply indicated that he was not aware of the details of the arrangements as it was not a matter in which his ministry was directly involved. "He was saying that he was not aware or that the ministry was made aware of the use of an aircraft and that he has been at pains to indicate that this was a Ministry of Defence matter," said Samuda.
"The last time I checked, the US is very friendly and relies on us and we on them in the fight against the narcotics trade, illegal trading in drugs, and they continue to provide expert advice and the provision of facilities. It has established the fact that we have this cooperation, so what's the big deal."
gary.spaulding@gleanerjm.com
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