Dudusgate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Time]

Holness bubble bursts - Shine rubs off young PM

Dudus/Manatt episode cost JLP dearly, says Samuda
BY INGRID BROWN Senior staff reporter browni@jamaicaobserver.com
Friday, December 30, 2011

JAMAICA Labour Party (JLP) campaign director Karl Samuda last night said the Dudus/Manatt episode has cost the party dearly. "I cannot over-emphasise the extent to which that resonates in the minds of the people for a number of months," Samuda told journalists when he arrived at the JLP headquarters at Belmont Road in Kingston shortly after the election was declared in favour of the People's National Party (PNP).

A dejected Jamaica Labour Party Leader Andrew Holness (centre) arrives at the party’s headquarters in Kingston last night with deputy leader Desmond McKenzie (right) and general secretary Aundre Franklin. (Photo: Joseph Wellington)



A dejected Jamaica Labour Party Leader Andrew Holness (centre) arrives at the party’s headquarters in Kingston last night with deputy leader Desmond McKenzie (right) and general secretary Aundre Franklin. (Photo: Joseph Wellington)





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Samuda, who stopped short of admitting that the extradition saga cost the party the election, said it was a moment of great regret for the party.
"The Labourites feel it, but we will rebound," he said, as he paraphrased a quote: "I am told to laugh because to cry would be embarrassing.".
He said the party will be meeting with everyone at the decision-making level to chart the way forward.
Meanwhile, JLP leader and prime minister Andrew Holness, in conceding the election, said, "the people have spoken and we are humble servants and we listen".
As such, Holness told journalists that he had since called Prime Minister-designate Portia Simpson Miller to concede.
"I wish the new Government well with the challenges they will face and I hope for the people of Jamaica that they will do a good job," he said.
According to Holness, it is a time of introspection and reflection for the party.
Holness said it is clear that the people still have concerns about his party. He, too, admitted that the Dudus/Manatt affair — which resulted in a strain in relations between Jamaica and the USA over that country's extradition request for accused drug trafficker Christopher 'Dudus' Coke — has always been in the backdrop.
Holness vowed to begin the JLP's campaign as early as today to be returned to power.
"We are determined to serve the people in the best way possible," he added.
According to Holness, who became the head of Government on October 23, he did not have much room to work, having served as prime minister for such a short time. However, he said he was looking forward to another opportunity.
Meanwhile, Samuda said the JLP remains proud of its achievements even as he vowed that the party will remain a very vibrant Opposition.
"We are going into Parliament with our heads high," he said.
He said he does not foresee a problem with Holness continuing to lead the party, as he pledged to continue giving him his support.
"I support him today as strongly as I support him yesterday," Samuda said.
Meanwhile, some persons at the scantily populated JLP headquarters last night openly vented their anger at party officials whom they accused of neglecting the supporters during their reign.
"The MP dem abandon the councillors and the workers from dem win and dat is why this happen tonight," one man shouted.
Other supporters were overheard complaining of similar neglect as they accused the party officials of being too high-handed.



Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...#ixzz1i5Uorw1B

[Hortical]

Missteps... (not ranked below)
(1) Calling election too early and based on flawed JLP polling data which showed dem ahead. Why not wait til late 2012???????
(2) Lousy Economy
(3) Dudus
Others?

[Lionpaw]

(4) dem a dutty labourite

[Lionpaw]

On a more serious note, Dudus or not them woulda still lose. they were fooled by the people. the ppl tek all dem goodies and gifts and dress up inna green and still vote pnp, some don't even vote at all. a friend of my family got $25,000 for her whole household(consisting of 5 eligible voters) fi dem go vote and dem don't even lef dem yard. dem trick d ppl fi 4 years and d ppl dem jus wise up and flip it pon dem, kill dem dead dem did have this wrapped up because a d big brooha a dem meetings. They got served!

[Sir X]

The MP dem abandon the councillors and the workers from dem win and dat is why this happen tonight," one man shouted.
Other supporters were overheard complaining of similar neglect as they accused the party officials of being too high-handed.

Elitist.....every negative card was played by this party,They have a massive amount of work to do............Massive................... from the looks of it ,they are prepared to spend 18 years in the wilderness doing it.

[Sir X]

A dat dem call crash program or Bollo work.

[TDowl]

Why not wait until 2013 after he purge the party, institute some changes and introduce positive development policies?

[Don1]

=Hortical;333669]Missteps... (not ranked below)
(1) Calling election too early and based on flawed JLP polling data which showed dem ahead. Why not wait til late 2012???????

Waiting til 2012 would not have worked...Holness would have lost the "new guy" bounce in the polls. Plus with the "bitter medicine" to come... support for the JLP would have tanked further...this year coming will not be pretty. Further...more Dudus revelations may be coming pending his sentencing in January...as well as more possible 2012 extraditions of prominent Labourites

These are probable reasons One Liad tek whey himself in such amazing haste

GrandMasta tuh di Werl!!!

(2) Lousy Economy

Big reason for the JLP flop

(3) Dudus

Anedda huge reason for the JLP flop

The JLP was apparently in a NO WIN situation...whenever they chose to call the election...but their best shot was an early poll using the bounce of a new, fresh, untainted, young guy

Hoist by their own petard...

[Sir X]

Considering all that , if Holness had went hard against corruption(PUBLICLY DECLARING NO MP OR CABINET MINISTER IS IMMUNE FROM PROSECUTION AND WILL BEAR THE BRUNT OF THE LAW , SO MUCH SO THAT I AM PREPARED TO GIVE THE OCG PROSECUTORIAL POWERS AND ENACT HARSHER PENALTIES , Tie it up with looking out for poor people security, and campaign on this tone until October next year, I think he had a chance.because he would have shown john public , he is his own man , different from the liad.

Instead we got a distant , to me it seem aloof PM in the debates , reinforcing all whats negative.Elitist out of touch and tiefing, gangster cabinet.

I think so.

[Hortical]

Waiting til 2012 would not have worked...Holness would have lost the "new guy" bounce in the polls. Plus with the "bitter medicine" to come... support for the JLP would have tanked further...this year coming will not be pretty. Further...more Dudus revelations may be coming pending his sentencing in January...as well as more possible 2012 extraditions of prominent Labourites

His sentencing is delayed to make sure he cooperates fully with the prosecution. The new guy bounce was very limited. My niece asked me if Holness put himself out of power in only two months in office! Granted the perception of arrogance would not have improved in 2012, but the world's economy could be on the upswing in 2012, and there could be a trickle down effect.

[Sir X]

You talk about arrogance as if the word exist in a vaccum , it entails elitism, entitlement and corruption , in the JLP case.Its as if people believe Holness could not change that perception.

I think he could.Irrespective of Duduss gate.

[Don1]

The PM cannot "give the OCG prosecutorial powers"... that's subject to legislation which would probably take years.

Any such mere statement by Holness re corruption would be taken with a truckload of salt...i.e. as a clear election ploy.

Also if he tried to remove or isolate those many JLP ministers compromised by corruption...as a neophyte leader with no real power base in the party he would have alienated ALL the real power centers in his tribe who are ALL complicit with the corruption.

He would not have a snowball's chance in hell of even surviving as party leader...much more winning an election with that team and on that platform

Theoretically your idea sounds goods...but practically impossible imho

[Don1]

The World economy is NOT on an upswing from all reasonable projections..the US is recovering but Europe is weak and Asia is softening. Even if the global situation improves in 2012 Jamaica will not feel that much in 2012..there's a lag time for any residual trickle down effect. That will be a VERY marginal impact anyway.

The Dudus sentencing is expected within weeks..even if it's later it's still coming..and can negatively impact the JLP

There was no medium term (next 12 months) upside for the JLP...if they had waited 9 months to call the election as Portia did after her humongous early bounce... they would probably end up with <10 seats

The writing was on the wall..which was why afta Driva crash di Bus...dat flee the Crime Scene...making way for a JEEP.. it was a sound calculation based on the facts at hand..

Good wishes to your niece but I don't know how savvy she is with political analysis

[Bricktop]

Give OCG prosecutorial powers? A ongly US $ him tek fi back off enuh...like yuh nuh know dat a gwaan pon what a gwaan...

[Sir X]

Its all in politricks , how you say it and when you say it , advocay would go along way in the declaring said statement ,its not that he can do it but advocate for it , he could claim it as hids own ! its the only political card he could have played and have the JLP looking like a new man.

Taking for a grain of salt , I doubt that, as you said once that dye is casted the (tiefs & crooks ) would take heed and move against him, that takes courage and spine , for a leader.

The only leader who looks as if he is brave enough to tackle it , is Peter Phillips.

Impossible again I think not , the economy wasnt going to take off in 2 years time , his only card was an anti corruption drive , he /jlp had not a clue and they paid for it.