Should Bruce resign? yes r no?

[Tuff Gong]

Re: Cliff Hughes Dudus Extradition Signed, Sealed, Delivered...

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: evanovitch</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tuff Gong</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Anyway I hope he re-shuffle that is the only good that come out of this! </div></div>

who u tink him a go leggo TG? really an truthfully...him shaky as it is </div></div>Dwight Nelson needs to go. He is an idiot. Get Delroy Chuck either at Justice and Move Ms. Dorothy lightbourne to Security or keep her there and Give Chuck to Security.

[evanovitch]

so TG

how u tink it a go go dung..dem a go go dung fi him r wat

[Tuff Gong]

Re: so TG

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: evanovitch</div><div class="ubbcode-body">how u tink it a go go dung..dem a go go dung fi him r wat </div></div>I think he will go in and get bailed.

[Tuff Gong]

Re: so TG


....but since him get move up there will be problems in other Garrisons, no matter what happens!

[evanovitch]

Re: so TG

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tuff Gong</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: evanovitch</div><div class="ubbcode-body">how u tink it a go go dung..dem a go go dung fi him r wat </div></div>I think he will go in and get bailed.
</div></div>

dat will be a moment indeed....who going to escort him fi dat?

[Tuff Gong]

Re: so TG

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: evanovitch</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tuff Gong</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: evanovitch</div><div class="ubbcode-body">how u tink it a go go dung..dem a go go dung fi him r wat </div></div>I think he will go in and get bailed.
</div></div>

dat will be a moment indeed....who going to escort him fi dat? </div></div>
Don't know if he is going I am sure he is already in the system somewhere. I am staying up to try to find out.

[evanovitch]

phone lines tie up n dem high up cops seem to be

unavailable...cho...wat is pint of knowing peeps if u cant reach dem wen u nnnnnneeeeed to

[Tuff Gong]

Re: phone lines tie up n dem high up cops seem to be

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: evanovitch</div><div class="ubbcode-body">unavailable...cho...wat is pint of knowing peeps if u cant reach dem wen u nnnnnneeeeed to </div></div>

Well I have no sources directly since I cut all links.
I monitor others events.

[evanovitch]

Re: phone lines tie up n dem high up cops seem to be

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tuff Gong</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: evanovitch</div><div class="ubbcode-body">unavailable...cho...wat is pint of knowing peeps if u cant reach dem wen u nnnnnneeeeed to </div></div>

Well I have no sources directly since I cut all links.
I monitor others events. </div></div>

di worse ting is dat mine a tek retirement n mi no know most of di newbies... ole age is a b fi real

[Leddih]

Re: Should Bruce resign? yes r no?

It's just like a curfew tonight where I live. The sound systems are quiet. The noisy club is closed - no lights. The annoying domino slammers have packed up long ago and disappeared from their usual spot and only the occasional vehicle passes by. I think I hear army trucks now and then.

Listen to Bob explain the symbolism of the words &quot;burning and looting&quot;.
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[Tuff Gong]

Re: phone lines tie up n dem high up cops seem to be

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: evanovitch</div><div class="ubbcode-body">di worse ting is dat mine a tek retirement n mi no know most of di newbies... ole age is a b fi real </div></div>
I had quit before that because with new folks you never know what you might hook up with. In fifty + years there has only been three larceny of property from our home. The last two was in March. It is a sign.
My Family say they are selling I say bon voyage!

[evanovitch]

Why the JLP kept Golding

Why the JLP kept Golding
Published: Tuesday | May 18, 2010

Hardly anyone is surprised that the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) declined Mr Bruce Golding's offer of resignation as its leader and as prime minister of Jamaica.

That decision is not because ranking members of the ruling party genuinely believed that Mr Golding has managed the Christopher Coke extradition affair with dexterity and skill, or that he did not lie to Jamaica over the Manatt lobbying scandal.

The truth is, as badly bruised, worn and compromised as Mr Golding now is, the JLP feels that it, at this time, has no credible successor. The shame is that, essentially, the JLP is right.

For, should Mr Golding decide to go, which of these personalities would win the confidence, support and trust of the Jamaican people:

Daryl Vaz, the information minister;
James Robertson, the mining and energy minister;
Karl Samuda, the JLP's general secretary and investment minister;
Dr Ken Baugh, the foreign minister;
Delroy Chuck, speaker of the House;
Dr Christopher Tufton, the agriculture minister; or
Andrew Holness, the education minister?
The likelihood is that most of them, for various reasons, would be unattractive to the majority of Jamaicans. Others who might be considered to be of leadership pedigree would probably stumble at internal party hurdles. This problem applies not only to the JLP. The Opposition People's National Party (PNP) is not substantially better.

And therein lies the crisis that confronts Jamaica - a crisis of political leadership. Or, perhaps, more to the point, is the failure of Jamaica's political parties to organise themselves in a fashion that allows the most talented of their members to rise to the top, except they have served long apprenticeships, command significant resources with which to purchase support, and/or have developed power bases that include brigades of muscle that corral votes.

In other words, Jamaican political parties, and the political system broadly, do not place a premium on integrity, honesty or managerial competence. It is a failure reflected in incompetent government and dysfunctional approaches to governance.

Traditionally, the Senate has been the mechanism used to bring talent into government, helping to compensate for the mediocrity that is encouraged in regular party politics. Unfortunately, but for a handful of exceptions, we have not been impressed with the quality of the debate and analyses that have emerged from the current Senate, particularly the younger members.

Transform his leadership

So, it seems that Jamaica is stuck with Mr Golding. This newspaper hopes that - assuming that he sticks to his position and stays - even at this late stage, Mr Golding can transform his leadership and take on the several tough issues facing Jamaica.

Among the most difficult of these is repairing the country's battered economy. The most immediate component of this is cutting the public sector to make it more efficient and to lower a runaway fiscal deficit. Mr Golding must also lead an attack on crime while concomitantly addressing a raft of social problems.

Doing these things will not be easy. It requires strong, sure leadership that has the trust of the people.

To begin to win the trust of the people, Mr Golding must disentangle himself and his party from the Coke affair. He must end the legal sophistry and instruct his attorney general and justice minister to sign the extradition order for Mr Coke, who the Americans want to put on trial for alleged narco-trafficking and gunrunning.


The opinions on this page, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner. To respond to a Gleaner editorial, email us: [email protected] or fax: 922-6223. Responses should be no longer than 400 words. Not all responses will be published.

[Xavier]

The full speech by PM Bruce Golding

My fellow Jamaicans..I have spent the last several days in deep contemplation about the issues that have caused so much anxiety throughout the society including the reaction to my statement in Parliament last Tuesday and the events and circumstances that led up to it.

I have listened very carefully to the views expressed by members of the public. I have also consulted with my Cabinet and parliamentary members, the party organization and various civil society groups. I thank those who have expressed their support and have urged me to find a way to deal with these matters and to put them behind. I respect the views of those who feel that, in the circumstances, I should step aside.

I have asked God to guide me in my response and the decisions I must make. I regret the entire affair and it has been deeply painful for me, members of my family and you who have been hurt and disappointed.

In hindsight, the party should never have become involved in the way that it did and I should never have allowed it but I must accept responsibility for it and express my remorse to the nation.

The way in which this matter has been handled has raised the question of trust. Several persons and organizations have expressed their disappointment. I should not have been surprised because I had raised the bar as to what they should expect of me and what has transpired has fallen short of their expectations. And here I want to personally thank the wide cross section of persons who took the trouble to write to me, not all complimentary but all expressing the deep anguish that they experienced over what had transpired. Others have offered their prayers and to all I am deeply grateful.

I am aware that trust can only be restored by forgiveness and atonement. That will take time and I am committing myself to do everything that is humanly possible to repair the damage that has been done to that trust. In return I ask for your forgiveness.

This matter of the extradition has consumed too much of our energies and attention and has led to a virtual paralysis that must be broken.

I crave your understanding, the government has never refused... never refused... the request for the extradition of Christopher Coke. It has simply asked the US authorities to provide additional information that would enable the Minister to issue the authorization in compliance with the terms of the treaty. In the controversy that has ensued, we sought the opinion of one of Jamaica's most eminent lawyers, Dr. Lloyd Barnett, who advised that the issues involved were not sufficiently settled in law, and therefore the Attorney-General should seek a declaration from the Court before exercising her authority.

I wrestled with the potential conflict between the issues of non-compliance with the terms of the treaty and the unavoidable perception that because Coke is associated with my constituency, the government's position was politically contrived. I felt that the concepts of fairness and justice should not be sacrificed in order to avoid that perception. In the final analysis, however, that must be weighed against the public mistrust that this matter has evoked and the destabilizing effect it is having on the nation's business. Accordingly, the Minister of Justice, in consideration of all the factors, will sign the authorization for the extradition process to commence.

The engagement of Manatt, Phelps &amp; Phillips by Mr. Harold Brady was an effort to secure assistance in resolving the stalemate because the party was concerned about the negative effect it was having on relations between Jamaica and the United States. I sanctioned this initiative but made it clear that it was to be kept completely separate from the government. As I later discovered, those instructions were not followed. Having sanctioned it, I cannot escape responsibility for it or the developments that have ensued although I was not myself involved in those activities.

When I was asked in Parliament whether the government had engaged the services of Manatt, Phelps &amp; Phillips, I answered truthfully and definitively that it had not done so. It is felt that I should, there and then, have acknowledged the party initiative led by Mr. Brady. On reflection, I should have and tonight I express my profound regret and offer to the Parliament and people of Jamaica my deepest apologies.

It took time for me to make my statement last Tuesday because of the efforts I had to make to find out exactly what had transpired in this Manatt, Phelps &amp; Phillips affair. I felt I had a duty to make that statement and I spoke on the basis of the information that has been presented to me.

The business of the country and the challenges that we have to overcome require that they be tackled with urgency and unquestioned authority. The economic programme that has restored stability after the tumultuous impact of the global recession and is showing early signs of recovery requires firm hands and certain leadership. The transformation of the government to improve the delivery of services despite the budgetary constraints and the stimulation of the investments that are needed to restore the jobs that were lost and create new ones require strong management unfettered by the ghost of the recent ordeal. The worrying crime problem must be confronted with vigour, confidence and determination. The social partnership being built through the Partnership for Transformation to bring a new collaborative and consultative approach to policymaking requires commitment and direction.

Yesterday, I indicated to the Central Executive including my parliamentary members that I was prepared to step aside as Prime Minister. A new Prime Minister would need to be assured of the support of the Party and a Special General Conference would have to be convened to elect a new leader so that a new Prime Minister can be appointed. The offer was rejected and I was asked to reconsider. I know that to continue requires on my part a recommitment to the purposeful change that we had promised.

I thought deeply about it last night and recognized that if I am to continue it cannot be business as usual. We have done well on some fronts but there are issues such as crime and violence to which much more effort and determination will have to be brought. Our legislative programme on which so much of our manifesto commitments were based will have to be renewed. Tough and uncompromising measures to deal with the pervasive crime problem and to stamp out corruption will have to be matters of urgency.

I will be tabling in Parliament the proposals emanating from the Public Sector Transformation Unit for the restructuring of government to invite public comment before a final decision is taken. I intend to transfer some of my portfolio responsibilities to other Ministers to enable me to focus more on the issues that drive change and transformation.

I intend to concentrate much of my efforts on advancing some of the unfinished business of our mandate. In our election manifesto, we committed ourselves to a wide range of political and constitutional reform measures to transform the way politics is conducted and the way government operates, to stamp out corruption and hold public officials to account. Some of these have already been implemented or are at an advanced stage. These include:

. Appointment of a Special Prosecutor to fight corruption
. Whistleblower legislation to aid in fighting crime and corruption
. Independent Commission to investigate abuses by the security forces
. Fiscal responsibility legislation to, among other things, exert control over our fiscal deficit and accumulation of debt.
. Reform of the Libel laws to enable greater transparency and accountability in government
However, having to grapple with the effects of the global recession consumed so much of our energies that we have not been able to move as fast as I would have liked on some important elements of the reform package.

Going forward, I intend to put the following measures on fast track:

. Measures to reverse the institutionalization of political tribalism and garrisons as manifested in many constituencies across political lines including my own constituency, an issue I propose to anchor in the Partnership for Transformation and with a commitment to implement the recommendations.
. Provisions for the impeachment of public officials
. Term limits for the office of Prime Minister
. Vesting constitutional authority in the Contractor-General and Electoral Commission
. Laws to regulate political party financing
. Enacting into law certain provisions of the Political Code of Conduct with appropriate oversight and penalties for violations
. Criminal sanctions for breaches of the award of contracts
. Parliamentary oversight in the appointment of certain statutory positions
I intend, also, to seek parliamentary approval for the anti-crime Bills, the DNA Evidence Act and new criminal gang legislation to strengthen our capacity to fight crime including measures to prevent the award of government contracts to individuals linked to criminal activities.

The nation's business cannot continue to be disrupted and distracted by the ordeal of the last several months. We must put it behind us and move on and I hope that after tonight we will be able to do so. And we must do so with humility. Our lapses at times into what comes across as arrogance and disrespect must not be allowed to happen, for we are the servants of the people. Again, I express my regret to those who were offended.

There is much that we have to accomplish as a people and many serious challenges that must be overcome but, together, we can make it work and ensure that our people enjoy a better life.

May God continue to bless Jamaica and provide the strength and support we all need.

[Tuff Gong]

Re: The full speech by PM Bruce Golding

Honestly I can say now Bruce is done.

Done as Prime Minister and done as Party Leader.
I thought he may have survived as Prime Minister but lose the Party Leader next Elections but I doubt he will survived past two months.

Mark that I wrote it.
Seems like Garden man dem nah tek noh taak no kinda way!

[Xavier]

Re: The full speech by PM Bruce Golding

The article above on leadership is very insightful. I have been asking the same question. Who is there to take the leadership role? I know this is not reflective of the overall Jamaican community but most people I know did not know who is Jamaican's deputy PM (Dr. the Hon Kenneth Baugh).