First 100 days of a Portia Premiership...

[papaD]

what will it/could it look like?

Saturday Night was either one of joy, dejection or trepidation depending on where one sits. I am pleased for the president/prime-minister elect but there is not much time all round celebrating for this, as PJ has drawn out the going which might be a real problem timetable wise and his real legacy.

I really think that there will be an early going to the polls Sept/October to get a proper mandate latest December 06.

However, what are the challenges of 100 days of Team Portia in Government. Who will be team be?

Some of the challenges in a nutshell.

Crime - we all know and hear of the issues - does Peter continue?

Economy - The hard reality is 70c out of every 100 to service debt and all at the hands of Omar's stewardship which says everything is OK and there is growth???

Education - Problems here under Maxine HW but to educate is to liberate the nation? Yet the brain drain continues...

Transport - Where is all the grandstanding about transportation projects which are running behind or mighten not get completed? How are they to be financed if 30c in 100 goes for competing demands of the other ministrys?

Representational Politics - Can they work together or will it be same ole same ole confrontation?

So what might people be watching for as key indicators in the first 100 days as indicators of the politician affectionately known as Sista P!?

Look forward to some comments and perspectives and then we might review together.

[niceniss]

Re: First 100 days of a Portia Premiership...

just because she is now the leader of the PNP doesnt make her the prime minister since she has not been elected as such. she is no better than her predecessors so why count her first hundred days?

[papaD]

Re: First 100 days of a Portia Premiership...

Donnika

I see your point - however she will be Prime Minister barring some big unforeseen crisis. She will be sworn in and will take the constitutional helm of the country whether we like it or not and the GG as I understand it will swear her in. There are precedents in other nations the most recent being Magaret Thatcher to John Major in the UK and he went to win the polls in his own right but was still Prime Minister.

I wonder how you have come to the conclusion that she is no better than her predecessors however? - Can we not give her the benefit of the doubt?

Maybe you wish to elaborate?

[Tuff Gong]

Re: First 100 days of a Portia Premiership...

[ QUOTE ]
just because she is now the leader of the PNP doesnt make her the prime minister since she has not been elected as such. she is no better than her predecessors so why count her first hundred days?

[/ QUOTE ]

She is going to be Prime Minister and she will have to ru the country.
I say fire, fire and fire again otherwise she is just out of the same Jeyes bottle as D.Mack said.

[niceniss]

Re: First 100 days of a Portia Premiership...

why should she be afforded the benefit of doubt when she has been a member and beneficiary of a corrupt government for more than a decade? what has she done to differentiate herself?

[PILOT]

Re: First 100 days of a Portia Premiership...

For my part i say give thanks for the work Patterson has done, measured performance from a experienced rural MP, but, the country have had some difficult days under his 14 year stewardship. Scandals ,Gas Tax protest, wipe out of garment industry, and Bank failure. Undoubdteadly the crime situation exploded and unemployment rate appear to have increase.

The economy is not in the best shape, yet when you do the comparison with other nations in our catagory/size worldwide. Jamaica appear to have weathered some storms, the currency is stable since the last election. There have been some important investments. Things could be far worse barring some of the measures that have been taken by political leadership to give all Jamaicans a stake in development.

The native Dawta Portia will have to come good, Patterson was weak on national policy, the social contract a big failure! He couldn't get it off the ground. He was stronger on public relations and the provision of utility services. PJ's meet the people forums and public rally's were an important starting point. He was intuned with the vision he had for Jamaicans, he always wanted to strengthen our comittment to caribbean integration.

i nuh know if Portia has a dynamic and inclusive vision for Jamaicans. She need to bring forth the knowledge she gained at the labour and tourism ministry and defend nation building from the point of view that she want to see more ordinary Jamaicans eating a piece of the tourism pie. Her policies need to be based on growing Tourism/ jobs and healing Jamaica from Criminal ethic.

Bless Up [img]/forums/images/graemlins/70409-waytogo.gif[/img]

[Wahalla]

Re: First 100 days of a Portia Premiership...

My question is what day shi ago meet the Black Brothers ???/

Ist week ? Before the Amabasadors ??/? Before the Parlimentary PNP ? Before the leader of the house, senate.. Is there a chance she wont or has she taken the meeting already ????

I think she was the besst choice of a rum lot... She betta keep Omar or him house of debt may just fall without his stewardship and relationship with the world bankers ...

Well mi wi gi odds that KD knight get an ambassordorship.... UK ???/ Poland ??? Tokoyo ????

[Wardob]

Re: First 100 days of a Portia Premiership...

“My question is what day shi ago meet the Black Brothers ???/

Ist week ? Before the Amabasadors ??/? Before the Parlimentary PNP ? Before the leader of the house, senate.. Is there a chance she wont or has she taken the meeting already ????uff where do you see Paul Burke, the architect of her victory fitting in?”……………..Wahalla

Got a real good laugh out of that one..

“ say fire, fire and fire again otherwise she is just out of the same Jeyes bottle as D.Mack said.”……………Tuff


Well Tuff with Paul Burke at the head of the transition team, and one I suspect who will be a key player in the new administration, some heads may truly roll.

[RichD]

Re: First 100 days of a Portia Premiership...

btw who was danhai backin?

[mountaingal]

Re: First 100 days of a Portia Premiership...

[ QUOTE ]
I say fire, fire and fire again otherwise she is just out of the same Jeyes bottle as D.Mack said.

[/ QUOTE ]
i would agree. except, what's the quality of the pool she's selecting from to replace the fired ones?

just for the heck of it, i'd love to see a woman put in charge of public security. it would send a message that it was time for a non-traditional approach to tackling the crime problem - hopefully one that would look outside the usual (and apparently futile) measures and get more to the poverty and empowerment issues that often lie behind crime. but it would have to be a woman credible and able to fulfill the intent of the gesture.

i wonder if Portia will be under pressure, generally, to put more women in cabinet?

[Tuff Gong]

Re: First 100 days of a Portia Premiership...

[ QUOTE ]
i wonder if Portia will be under pressure, generally, to put more women in cabinet?

[/ QUOTE ]
I am 99% sure she will be under all kinds of pressure.
If she does not come out of the gate firing then it is still PNP Business as usual and the country's business will take a long hike.

[Tuff Gong]

Re: First 100 days of a Portia Premiership...

[ QUOTE ]
btw who was danhai backin?

[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe the answers can be found here:

Danhai remains in PNP inner circle
Still an NEC member
BY ERICA VIRTUE Sunday Observer writer
Sunday, January 01, 2006

DANHAI Williams remains a member of the influential inner council of the ruling People's National Party, a top minister of government confirmed yesterday, after two weeks of evasion by party chairman Robert Pickersgill, another Cabinet minister.

Phillip Paulwell, Member of Parliament for East Kingston and Minister of Commerce, Science and Technology, said last night that the businessman and contractor, who is on trial for fraud, remains a National Executive Council (NEC) member.


Danhai Williams (right), a member of the People's National Party executive council, speaking with party presidential candidate Dr Peter Phillips (centre) and Dr Paul Robertson, co-manager of Phillips' campaign, at a party conference, February 2005.

For two weeks, Pickersgill avoided a direct reponse to Sunday Observer queries about Williams' status in the party, after sources advised that the businessman had been on the NEC's roll up to February 2005.
"I really don't know," said Pickersgill. "I would have to check...," the PNP chairman said two weeks ago.

A St Catherine PNP delegate, who had earlier confirmed Williams' standing, said the party's officers wanted to ignore the issue, because it was embarrassing, especially after he reneged on a deal with organs of the state.

"A shame de whole a dem shame why everybody pretending dem don't know say Danhai is a NEC member," said the delegate.
On Thursday, the party chairman was a bit more forthcoming, but still refused a direct answer.


George Phang congratulates Dr Omar Davies in this December 8, 2004 file photograph, during the launch of Davies' campaign for presidency of the People's National Party at Cuddyz sports bar, New Kingston. Davies is Member of Parliament for South St Andrew. Phang is the reputed leader of Arnett Gardens, a community in the constituency. (Photos: Observer File)
"I think so," he said in response to the same query of Williams' NEC membership. But, again, he added that he would have to check.
Pickersgill's latter comment came the same day that a lawyer for PNP caretaker, Patrick Roberts, had gone to court to force the police to either charge the record producer or release him.
Pickersgill similarly said he would check whether Roberts was a member of the NEC.

Roberts had run for a parliamentary seat on a PNP ticket in 2003, but lost.
The record producer, along with reputed area leaders for Arnett Gardens, George Phang and his brother Andrew Phang, were taken into police custody Monday night for questioning in relation to escalating violence in the South St Andrew community.

The police released the three men Friday evening without charge, but said they were still under investigation.
Williams has been on trial for two years.
The East Kingston businessman recently hit the spotlight again, this time by going into hiding and reneging on a deal with the Director of Public Prosecutions to testify against accused cops - now acquitted - in the Crawle murder trial.

He was to have testified for the crown in exchange for immunity from prosecution for illegal possession of a firearm, but hid during the trial, surfacing only after the crown had wrapped up its case.
His own trial began October 2003, on charges that he defrauded the NHDC/Operation Pride shelter programme.

Williams, a constituent of Cabinet minister Paulwell, was selected from his group in the East Kingston and Port Royal constituency as the representative to the NEC.

The St Catherine delegate said some in the party who were opposed to the contractor being a member of the party's second highest decision-making body, but could not remove him as he was placed there by his group.
Only they can remove him from the NEC, aside from Williams voluntarily resigning, said party insiders.

In September, party president PJ Patterson in his address to delegates on the opening day of the 67th annual conference, urged the party and especially the person who will succeed him when he steps down in 2006, to seek to improve the quality of the membership of the party.

Williams, who is charged with six others, is facing 87 counts of fraud. His case resumes March 8.

[email protected]

Danhai remains in PNP inner circle

[niceniss]

Re: First 100 days of a Portia Premiership...

[ QUOTE ]
... but it would have to be a woman credible and able to fulfill the intent of the gesture.



[/ QUOTE ]

question is: is portia that credible woman?

Geeze! Jamaica... poor Jamaica [img]/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/70384-praying.gif[/img]

[niceniss]

Re: First 100 days of a Portia Premiership...

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
btw who was danhai backin?

[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe the answers can be found here:

Danhai remains in PNP inner circle
Still an NEC member
BY ERICA VIRTUE Sunday Observer writer
Sunday, January 01, 2006

DANHAI Williams remains a member of the influential inner council of the ruling People's National Party, a top minister of government confirmed yesterday, after two weeks of evasion by party chairman Robert Pickersgill, another Cabinet minister.

Phillip Paulwell, Member of Parliament for East Kingston and Minister of Commerce, Science and Technology, said last night that the businessman and contractor, who is on trial for fraud, remains a National Executive Council (NEC) member.


Danhai Williams (right), a member of the People's National Party executive council, speaking with party presidential candidate Dr Peter Phillips (centre) and Dr Paul Robertson, co-manager of Phillips' campaign, at a party conference, February 2005.

For two weeks, Pickersgill avoided a direct reponse to Sunday Observer queries about Williams' status in the party, after sources advised that the businessman had been on the NEC's roll up to February 2005.
"I really don't know," said Pickersgill. "I would have to check...," the PNP chairman said two weeks ago.

A St Catherine PNP delegate, who had earlier confirmed Williams' standing, said the party's officers wanted to ignore the issue, because it was embarrassing, especially after he reneged on a deal with organs of the state.

"A shame de whole a dem shame why everybody pretending dem don't know say Danhai is a NEC member," said the delegate.
On Thursday, the party chairman was a bit more forthcoming, but still refused a direct answer.


George Phang congratulates Dr Omar Davies in this December 8, 2004 file photograph, during the launch of Davies' campaign for presidency of the People's National Party at Cuddyz sports bar, New Kingston. Davies is Member of Parliament for South St Andrew. Phang is the reputed leader of Arnett Gardens, a community in the constituency. (Photos: Observer File)
"I think so," he said in response to the same query of Williams' NEC membership. But, again, he added that he would have to check.
Pickersgill's latter comment came the same day that a lawyer for PNP caretaker, Patrick Roberts, had gone to court to force the police to either charge the record producer or release him.
Pickersgill similarly said he would check whether Roberts was a member of the NEC.

Roberts had run for a parliamentary seat on a PNP ticket in 2003, but lost.
The record producer, along with reputed area leaders for Arnett Gardens, George Phang and his brother Andrew Phang, were taken into police custody Monday night for questioning in relation to escalating violence in the South St Andrew community.

The police released the three men Friday evening without charge, but said they were still under investigation.
Williams has been on trial for two years.
The East Kingston businessman recently hit the spotlight again, this time by going into hiding and reneging on a deal with the Director of Public Prosecutions to testify against accused cops - now acquitted - in the Crawle murder trial.

He was to have testified for the crown in exchange for immunity from prosecution for illegal possession of a firearm, but hid during the trial, surfacing only after the crown had wrapped up its case.
His own trial began October 2003, on charges that he defrauded the NHDC/Operation Pride shelter programme.

Williams, a constituent of Cabinet minister Paulwell, was selected from his group in the East Kingston and Port Royal constituency as the representative to the NEC.

The St Catherine delegate said some in the party who were opposed to the contractor being a member of the party's second highest decision-making body, but could not remove him as he was placed there by his group.
Only they can remove him from the NEC, aside from Williams voluntarily resigning, said party insiders.

In September, party president PJ Patterson in his address to delegates on the opening day of the 67th annual conference, urged the party and especially the person who will succeed him when he steps down in 2006, to seek to improve the quality of the membership of the party.

Williams, who is charged with six others, is facing 87 counts of fraud. His case resumes March 8.

[email protected]

Danhai remains in PNP inner circle

[/ QUOTE ]

Danhai will back anybaddy who will furda line him pockets.

[mountaingal]

Re: First 100 days of a Portia Premiership...

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
i wonder if Portia will be under pressure, generally, to put more women in cabinet?

[/ QUOTE ]
I am 99% sure she will be under all kinds of pressure.
If she does not come out of the gate firing then it is still PNP Business as usual and the country's business will take a long hike.

[/ QUOTE ]

maybe the more contentious issue is who should she keep? continuity and experience have their uses, and with a country in Jamaica's economic and social mess, you don't want to have folks who will be on a learning curve in key portfolios.

i'd love to hear some of the persons being touted for various positions - if demma tout at all.