‘Polluted with lies’

All government senators present at yesterday’s sitting of the Upper House voted in favour of the postponement of the local government elections while opposition senators objected to its extension in a near mirroring of proceedings of the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

In the Lower House, government members of parliament (MPs) voted in support and opposition MPs voted against the delay.

But in a departure from the Lower House, and in the face of backlash that Jamaica did not have the funds to hold the overdue elections, the Government demoted that position and promoted the incomplete process of Portmore becoming the 15th parish and global economic uncertainty as the main reasons while acknowledging that significant economic gains have been made.

It was not the only departure, however, as the quality of the presentations from both sides of the House topped that of the Lower House. Opposition senators hammered the Government for being undemocratic and do not care for the process, while they retorted by stating that no other administration had done more for local government than the Jamaica Labour Party.

The first and foundational reason is to allow for further time to complete the process to establish Portmore as Jamaica’s 15th parish and this requires further consultation and the passage of the requisite legislation, argued Leader of Government Business Kamina Johnson Smith.

More particularly, however, “This process has implications for the boundaries of Portmore and the rights of people of Portmore to vote…,” said Johnson Smith in opening the debate. “…It will have a direct impact on the next general elections of members to serve the respective councils of municipal corporations and the election of a mayor in keeping with the Local Governance Act…,” she stated.

She said it was prudent to delay the elections to complete the legislative process which is in train. Noting that fiscal consideration was of great importance, as elections are costly, and with many competing budget priorities, she said with greater importance being placed on building resilience post-COVID-19 pandemic and keeping the country on a path to sustained growth.

However, Senator Damion Crawford sought to pick apart Johnson Smith’s presentation, dismissing as a complete falsehood the incomplete process of Portmore becoming the 15th parish as among the reasons for the postponement.

According to him, whether or not Portmore became a parish it did not prevent the government from holding the elections.

Crawford ripped through the reasons proffered, arguing that the Government has no control over global economic conditions, and suggested that if that position was the case, and there was continuous global downturn, elections could be postponed ad infinitum.

“You cannot predict global uncertainty…,” he stated, noting that local government elections could not prevent Portmore from becoming a parish.

According to him, the real reason was about political control of the parish of St Catherine, and the two municipal authorities in which the opposition People’s National Party (PNP) has control.

“The basis of calling an election is that the people should be heard and that your performance should be judged… We have before us some arguments since Tuesday that have been polluted with lies and deception, stink of disrespect and renk with delusions of grandeur because what you are putting forward, your intellect is not sufficient to take everybody for fool,” he charged.

He said in 2020 when local polls were due, it was instead upended by the general election which was not due, and when the uncertainty of the times was even starker.

Senator Gabriela Morris, who opened for the Opposition, said in opposing the motion, she was standing on the side of the Jamaican people, arguing that after so many gains, the postponement was trampling on the democratic rights of the Jamaican people.

Government Senator Charles Sinclair, in his presentation, appeared to have disclosed that the party was having discussions for holding both local government and general elections together.

He argued that it may provide better participation, as both elections cost more than J$1billion to stage while turnout is dismal.

erica.virtue@gleanerjm.com