Jamaican Political Leaders Trade Words As Campaigning Continues Ahead Of February 25 Poll

KINGSTON, Jamaica CMC – The leaders of Jamaica’s two main political parties traded words, on Sunday night, as the campaign intensifies for the February 25 general election.

Prime Minister, Portia Simpson Miller, who is seeking re-election as head of the government, dismissed suggestions that she was afraid of debating the leader of the main opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), Andrew Holness.

The leader of the ruling People’s National Party (PNP) told supporters at a public meeting in Mandeville, Manchester, “We are not afraid to debate anybody.”

“I debated Bruce Golding. I debated Andrew Holness and I beat him in the debates in 2011,” she added.

The PNP has said, it will not participate in the leadership debate being organised by the Jamaica Debates Commission (JDC) until Holness apologises for statements he made, earlier this month, following a shooting incident at a JLP rally that left three people dead.

In addition, the ruling party is calling on the Opposition Leader to state the source of funding for the mansion he is building at Beverly Hills.

However, Holness has dismissed the PNP’s calls, telling supporters, “I am an unstoppable train and that is why they are coming with their nastiness.”

“We have seen this playbook before,” he told a JLP rally in Gregory Park, East Central St. Catherine, adding, “they trying to demonize JLP leaders.

“I am the future, but you see the depth, the vitriol and the nastiness to which they will descend to gain power?” he questioned.

Holiness, who said he would not be distracted over the questions regarding his new home, said the PNP, which controlled 42 of the 63 seats in the last Parliament, is “from a time when their relevance was dependent on political power”.

“Like you, I am from a different time, to move from poverty to prosperity,” he said, insisting, that he would not be drawn to the low level of the PNP.

But Prime Minister, Simspon Miller, insists that the JLP leaders “must deal with the issues that we have put on the table and then they can talk to us about debates”.

Meanwhile, the National Integrity Action (NIA) has written to Holness, urging him to disclose particulars about his assets.

NAI Executive Director, Professor Trevor Munroe, in his letter, noted that Holness’ assets, including his Beverly Hills house, are matters for the Integrity Commission established by the Parliament.

He wrote that, the relevant annual reports of the Integrity Commission for 2011, 2012 and 2013 have been filed by the Commission with the Prime Minister, who should have laid them in parliament.

But he notes that these reports had not been sent to Parliament before it was dissolved, but due to the failure of the administration, resulting in the Parliament, the media and, by extension the public, being unable to exercise their right to review these reports.

But Munroe said, Holness should state whether any of his statutory declarations for 2011, 2012 or 2013 are outstanding and also, whether he failed to reply to subsequent queries by the Integrity Commission, in relation to declarations for any of the years in question.

One radio station, here, says it has now received documents surrounding the purchase of the Beverly Hills, St. Andrew property by Holness.

RJR News said, it received copies of documents outlining the purchase price, the entity through which the property was bought, among other details. According to the documents, the property was purchased by a St. Lucia-based company, called Admat Incorporated in 2011.