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Editorial
Facing the inconvenient truth after 'Dudus'
Thursday, July 01, 2010
The Opposition People's National Party (PNP) is not to be faulted if they appear to be salivating over the prospect of early general elections, fancying their chances for success. That's what political parties do.
However, we'd like to urge the party to hold its horses. And it is not because we don't want elections. In fact, no newspaper is as mindful of the overriding necessity for regular elections as we are. The point we have to make is that we have much to do between now and when elections are constitutionally due and we can't afford to be distracted right now.
Of the things we have to do as a nation, the most immediate is the consolidation of the campaign by the security forces to root out the criminality that has so terribly beset this country. The removal of Mr Christopher 'Dudus' Coke has provided us an opportunity not likely to come our way again in our lifetime. We have no time to lose.
Elections are by nature divisive. During an election campaign, the government is on auto pilot as the political parties seek the approval of the electorate. The business of the nation is put on hold and everyone is in wait-and-see mode. We have always known this.
Moreover, the success of the security campaign itself will have implications for the quality of elections, in that with the gunmen who hold sway over voters out of the way — especially in the captive communities we call garrisons — we can have safer, less violent and cleaner elections. We, and we suspect the rest of the country, are excited by this prospect.
An important point not to be missed in our discourse on the post-Dudus Jamaica, is the fact that Mr Coke did not and could not have acted alone and in splendid isolation from other Jamaicans who assisted in building and maintaining his crime fiefdom. These persons must be identified and be brought to justice.
Thinking persons know that if the security forces stop at Mr Coke, then the cause is lost. The dark men who assign the contracts and sign the cheques will only wait out the security forces and resume their criminal ways, at the earliest opportunity. Our country needs iron resolve to go forward with this campaign. There must be no retreat, no surrender.
Of course, we are aware that political opponents of the governing party are concerned that the prime minister seems to be getting away with his misdeeds related to the Coke extradition — the Manatt Phelps and Phillips affair — and that the anti-crime thrust is his way back to redemption.
We suggest that those who hold this view are wrong. To believe that Jamaican voters lack electoral sophistication is a mistake of monumental proportions. The innate wisdom of our people can be relied on to pass correct judgement on all those who offer themselves for leadership.
Indeed, there are those who are worried about the continuation of the limited state of emergency and the possibilities of human rights abuses. To them we say, imagine what the over 1,500 Jamaicans who make up the annual death statistics would say if asked 'human rights or death'?
The current coalition of interests which support the security forces campaign know that it is a coalition of convenience to achieve something good and lasting for this country.
It may be an inconvenient truth. But let's face it.
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/edito...Dudus-_7762579
Facing the inconvenient truth after 'Dudus'
Thursday, July 01, 2010
The Opposition People's National Party (PNP) is not to be faulted if they appear to be salivating over the prospect of early general elections, fancying their chances for success. That's what political parties do.
However, we'd like to urge the party to hold its horses. And it is not because we don't want elections. In fact, no newspaper is as mindful of the overriding necessity for regular elections as we are. The point we have to make is that we have much to do between now and when elections are constitutionally due and we can't afford to be distracted right now.
Of the things we have to do as a nation, the most immediate is the consolidation of the campaign by the security forces to root out the criminality that has so terribly beset this country. The removal of Mr Christopher 'Dudus' Coke has provided us an opportunity not likely to come our way again in our lifetime. We have no time to lose.
Elections are by nature divisive. During an election campaign, the government is on auto pilot as the political parties seek the approval of the electorate. The business of the nation is put on hold and everyone is in wait-and-see mode. We have always known this.
Moreover, the success of the security campaign itself will have implications for the quality of elections, in that with the gunmen who hold sway over voters out of the way — especially in the captive communities we call garrisons — we can have safer, less violent and cleaner elections. We, and we suspect the rest of the country, are excited by this prospect.
An important point not to be missed in our discourse on the post-Dudus Jamaica, is the fact that Mr Coke did not and could not have acted alone and in splendid isolation from other Jamaicans who assisted in building and maintaining his crime fiefdom. These persons must be identified and be brought to justice.
Thinking persons know that if the security forces stop at Mr Coke, then the cause is lost. The dark men who assign the contracts and sign the cheques will only wait out the security forces and resume their criminal ways, at the earliest opportunity. Our country needs iron resolve to go forward with this campaign. There must be no retreat, no surrender.
Of course, we are aware that political opponents of the governing party are concerned that the prime minister seems to be getting away with his misdeeds related to the Coke extradition — the Manatt Phelps and Phillips affair — and that the anti-crime thrust is his way back to redemption.
We suggest that those who hold this view are wrong. To believe that Jamaican voters lack electoral sophistication is a mistake of monumental proportions. The innate wisdom of our people can be relied on to pass correct judgement on all those who offer themselves for leadership.
Indeed, there are those who are worried about the continuation of the limited state of emergency and the possibilities of human rights abuses. To them we say, imagine what the over 1,500 Jamaicans who make up the annual death statistics would say if asked 'human rights or death'?
The current coalition of interests which support the security forces campaign know that it is a coalition of convenience to achieve something good and lasting for this country.
It may be an inconvenient truth. But let's face it.
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/edito...Dudus-_7762579
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