PNP Manifesto a drop today!

[Lazie]

I do hope on page one them tell the people fi duh the right thing! Vote JLP!

[Mosiah]

Seeing that you are right on the pulse of local news, have you been listening to the...well, let's just say the revisionist views of the JLP manifesto? Seems like it was not all that and a bag of chips! More like pork rinds, if you ask me! Fat on promises, maagre on funding and ways to implement.

Let's see if the PNP can do better.

Oh well!

[Lazie]

"revisionist views of the JLP manifesto"

From people like who? Lambert Brown? Why yuh think him getting national award? Garnett Roper? hehehe yuh brighter that that ...... Even the PNP is struggling to rebut what is in the manifesto. At times I wonder if people actually listen to the JLP with an opened mind.

Last night Baugh was asked how they were going to finance these proposals, yet this morning on the Breakfast Club, this clown that is President of the PAJ claims they're only talking about reducing corruption. Was there a power cut in his area last night? I heard Baugh spoke of growing the economy, luckily another political analyst pointed that out to him.

I do hope as a thinking person you nuh expect everything to be implemented all at once? Leff dat to KArl and Jawge.

[Muadib]

I do hope on page one them tell the people fi duh the right thing! Vote JLP!

What is the relevance of a PNP Manifesto at this point ?

That is like asking fly by night contractor with a track record of unfinished and below standard work to produce the building and subdivision plans for a development. So he hires a good architect and engineer to produce the plans, then uses some unqualified cheap labour to build with no proper project management in place.

Many plans are approved by NEPA and the Parish Councils..

[Lazie]

Well, I for one want to see what they intend to do. The JLP seems to be at a disadvantage as everybody calling their proposals empty promises. Mi waan see who ago refer to the PNP's proposals as god's vision.

[Mosiah]

The people who are saying so are not the usual PNP trumpet blowers. Yuh tink I care what Barbara or Lambert say?

Try Kim Marie Spence, Jamaicans for Justice, Peter Espeut. I guess you can just simply label them as PNP.

[Mosiah]

Yuh mean yuh haven't read it yet?!?

[Lazie]

The people who are saying so are not the usual PNP trumpet blowers. Yuh tink I care what Barbara or Lambert say?

Try Kim Marie Spence, Jamaicans for Justice, Peter Espeut. I guess you can just simply label them as PNP.

Well, Peter Espuet this morning on the Breakfast Club knocked Baugh and the JLP for not shouting more about their "revolutionary" (his adjective ... mi nuh know dem word deh) idea of increasing the school leaving age. Everybody not going to agree with everything in the manifesto .... I don't.

Exactly what did they say.

[Lazie]

Human rights groups welcome JLP's pledge to entrench Charter of Rights

ALICIA DUNKLEY, Observer staff reporter
Saturday, August 04, 2007



TWO of Jamaica's major human rights groups have welcomed the Jamaica Labour Party's (JLP) commitment to have the Charter of Rights, which has been in gestation for over 15 years, entrenched in the Constitution in short order should it form the next government.

The JLP, in its Manifesto which was launched on Monday pledged to, among other things, seek entrenchment in the Constitution of a new Charter of Rights to gaurantee the fundamental rights of every citizen and to establish a Citizens' Protection Bureau headed by the Public Defender with expanded powers to defend the rights of and secure redress for citizens whose constitutional rights may be violated.

The new charter which has been the subject of much wrangling since the 1990s is expected to replace the Chapter III of the present constitution and has the support of both parties.

Attorney-at-law and chairman of watchdog group Jamaicans for Justice, David Wong Ken, said the move would be a consequential one for Jamaica.

"What it would mean for Jamaica is very fundamental. Firstly, it indicates a philosophical shift, a paradigm shift, from thinking that human rights are a gift from the state to thinking that it's a right that every single human being is born with. It's a right because you are a human being and it's inalienable; in other words it cannot be alienated by some simple majority in Parliament," Wong pointed out.

He went on to say that "the problem with the existing Charter is that it does not enjoy constitutional protection as an entrenched provision which means that the human rights provisions contained in the Constitution can actually be sidestepped".

"The truth is, as it exists today, the human rights provisions are fairly weak. Entrenching them in the Constitution would mean that no simple majority in Parliament could suspend those rights or in any other way change the law regarding those rights and that's what human rights groups such as Jamaicans for Justice would welcome, that's what we've been fighting for," Wong told the Observer.

"What we anticipate is that a Human Rights Charter would be clear in its pronouncements as to what every Jamaican citizen is entitled to as a human right, for instance the right to freedom, the right to life, the right to pursue religious practices."

As to the proposal to establish a Citizens' Protection Bureau the attorney-at-law said he was also in favour of the idea of an impartial body that citizens can complain to.

"I think it's an excellent idea and that isn't limited to human rights at all. That is a person's constitutional right generally speaking and those will go well beyond human rights. I think it's an excellent proposal," Wong told the Observer.

In the meantime, legal officer for the Independent Jamaica Council for Human Rights (IJCHR) Nancy Anderson, said they were also eager to see the amendment being brought through its final stages but with conditions.

"The wording of the Charter is what we are very concerned about and we would have to wait to see what is presented to Parliament," she pointed out, adding that since Parliament had been dissolved before the amendments were made, the Bill would have to be brought anew when the brandnew Parliament convenes since it is not bound by the old Parliament.

She said one concern was that the current Charter does not include the right to health care.

"We believe the Charter should express the gaurantee of the right to health care, but based on what the JLP has been saying about the right to health care it seems fairly possible that they will want to have this included in the Charter," Anderson said.

"I'm encouraged that they wish to push forward and have a new charter of rights, the details we will have to wait and see," she told the Observer.

Meanwhile JLP general-secretary, Karl Samuda, said the Charter would be acted upon as a priority should the party take office.

"It has just been launguishing and we feel very strongly about that because it is something of great national importance. Whatever we do in terms of the Charter of Rights will be acted upon as soon as we take office. It's a commitment that we have to ensure that it is entrenched as soon as is possible. We are going to act on it immediately," Samuda said.

"It must be emphasised that there is no fundamental disagreement between the sides on the Charter of Rights, but we feel it must be acted upon independent of any other constitutional reform measure, we feel that it is just that important," he added.

[Muadib]

Seeing that you are right on the pulse of local news, have you been listening to the...well, let's just say the revisionist views of the JLP manifesto? Seems like it was not all that and a bag of chips! More like pork rinds, if you ask me! Fat on promises, maagre on funding and ways to implement.

Let's see if the PNP can do better.

Oh well!

See if the PNP can do better at what ?

The proof is in the tasting not the recipe.

The PNP has failed in all areas of fundamental governance.

Security, Economic environment, Social Infrastructure...

What is the debate about ? PNP Manifesto ? Fi what ? So we can measure the level of failure in another 5 years time ?

I mean you can say the PNP experienced good fortune with the fracturing of the opposition and benefitted to the tune of 4 straight terms.. granting them a 5th Term or even defending a 5th term going into an election with the strongest opposition in election history (number of seats, control of local govt) is entering the realm of lunacy (for those not genetically tied and hold country over party)

[Mosiah]

"Exactly what did they say."

Lazie, yuh really expect an answer from me?

When you and your ilk can humble unnuself to provide straight answers to questions posed to you on this forum, then and only then should you expect the same from me.

[Lazie]

"Exactly what did they say."

Lazie, yuh really expect an answer from me?

When you and your ilk can humble unnuself to provide straight answers to questions posed to you on this forum, then and only then should you expect the same from me.

Lawd Gad .... unuh eMOtional! I guess that the duck and move strategy! I responded giving an article from the human rights groups, and what I've heard from Peter ... yet yuh claim mi answer ... okay ... suit yuhself.

[Muadib]

"Exactly what did they say."

Lazie, yuh really expect an answer from me?

When you and your ilk can humble unnuself to provide straight answers to questions posed to you on this forum, then and only then should you expect the same from me.

The bowlers delivery action is suspect.

[Mosiah]

Damn skippy! I'll suit myself!

[Peter R]

Anyone with half a brain should know by now that a manifesto (of any party, colour or stripe) in our politics is probably only good for toilet paper...if that.

I've been reading the debates here with much interest... if I were the JLP I would revive Michael manley's campaign of the early 70s.."better mus come", " time for a change" etc. because ah mean after 18 years of control anyone who is thinking mus see that PNP has not delivered anything of substance to Jamaica except a massive debt load. Which is not to say that JLP would do any better but we won't know til they get a chance. Could they screw things up any worse?

It's time people move on from my grandfather days(who was a staunch PNP man btw) when you born and dead PNP/JLP ... and start thinking...but I fear that is too much to ask of many of our people. sigh

pr