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Nation adrift in dangerous waters
Page 1 Editorial
Friday, August 24, 2007
After an exhaustive search of our national history, we have been unable to find a period like this one that our country is now passing through.
The uncertainty and confusion over the calling of a State of Public Emergency and over a firm election date is nothing short of unprecedented.
This administration will go down in history as one that could not care one hoot about the democracy to which our founding fathers and our national heroes committed their very lives.
Up to press time, four days before a general election was due, the nation was left to guess and speculate about when the election would actually be held, with all signs showing that it was now impossible to hold it on August 27. In such an environment all sorts of stories were doing the rounds, including one that there was a face-off between the prime minister and the minister of education at a Cabinet meeting on the issue. No one is sure at this stage who to believe.
The finance minister, Dr Omar Davies, admitted yesterday on Nationwide Radio that the recommendation from the Electoral Commission of Jamaica - that elections be held on September 3 - was erroneously sent to King's House, instead of to the Cabinet. We note that it took quite a while to sort out that conundrum, suggesting that at the highest levels of government, there is no clear understanding of our Constitution.
In the midst of all this, there is great division about the lack of justification of a State of Public Emergency which threatens to damage the economy, as tourists and others wanting to do business keep away from the island. This is happening at a time when the country should be united to deal with restoration following the passage of Hurricane Dean.
In the interest of our country, we again urge Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller to end this State of Emergency now and restore faith in her and our country.
And finally, the entire school community is uncertain about when the new school year will begin, as evident in the education ministry sending out and retracting a news release that elections would be held on September 3, so the new school term will commence on September 10.
We are indeed adrift in dangerous waters.
Page 1 Editorial
Friday, August 24, 2007
After an exhaustive search of our national history, we have been unable to find a period like this one that our country is now passing through.
The uncertainty and confusion over the calling of a State of Public Emergency and over a firm election date is nothing short of unprecedented.
This administration will go down in history as one that could not care one hoot about the democracy to which our founding fathers and our national heroes committed their very lives.
Up to press time, four days before a general election was due, the nation was left to guess and speculate about when the election would actually be held, with all signs showing that it was now impossible to hold it on August 27. In such an environment all sorts of stories were doing the rounds, including one that there was a face-off between the prime minister and the minister of education at a Cabinet meeting on the issue. No one is sure at this stage who to believe.
The finance minister, Dr Omar Davies, admitted yesterday on Nationwide Radio that the recommendation from the Electoral Commission of Jamaica - that elections be held on September 3 - was erroneously sent to King's House, instead of to the Cabinet. We note that it took quite a while to sort out that conundrum, suggesting that at the highest levels of government, there is no clear understanding of our Constitution.
In the midst of all this, there is great division about the lack of justification of a State of Public Emergency which threatens to damage the economy, as tourists and others wanting to do business keep away from the island. This is happening at a time when the country should be united to deal with restoration following the passage of Hurricane Dean.
In the interest of our country, we again urge Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller to end this State of Emergency now and restore faith in her and our country.
And finally, the entire school community is uncertain about when the new school year will begin, as evident in the education ministry sending out and retracting a news release that elections would be held on September 3, so the new school term will commence on September 10.
We are indeed adrift in dangerous waters.
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