Sources: Wright defiant on continuing as MP

George Wright still harbours “every intention” of remaining a member of parliament (MP), and there is nothing anyone can do about it, “not even we”, multiple sources of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) have said.

Wright resigned from the JLP on Friday, completing his formal separation from the party on whose ticket he won election into Gordon House in last September’s general election.

But seven months into his highest political job, the businessman became embroiled in an assault scandal over allegations that he was the man in a video beating a woman with a stool in Hanover.

Wright has not denied being the person battering the woman said to be his common-law partner.

The resignation has triggered questions about whether Wright is putting party interest ahead of the massive national outcry over the video and the clamour from all major civic groups that he resign from the House.

“We can’t tell him what to do. I don’t disagree that we don’t have influence, but there’s a limit. He’s elected by the people,” said a senior JLP official, who didn’t want to be named because they were not authorised to speak on the matter.

Another party officer added: “If he leaves tomorrow, two years from now or never, that’s largely up to him. I can tell you that we’re glad it’s behind us. We get to focus on our programmes and policies.”

“My reading based on the discussions is that he still has every intention of remaining and not even we can do a thing about that,” said a third official knowledgeable of the latest rounds of talks with Wright.

Rudolph Uter, a JLP councillor in Wright’s Westmoreland Central constituency, said the MP told him Friday that leaving the party was for the “best interest of everybody”.

Asked further whether Wright spoke to national concerns, Uter said that issue was not addressed in the conversation.

“He told me that it was the people of Central Westmoreland who put him here. He’s a duly elected member of parliament,” Uter shared.

“Since he was elected, he has gained the respect of the persons down here. He’s always present and moving around. I still think that he is going to maintain that being an independent candidate.”

Telephone calls and messages to Wright have gone unanswered.

REFORM MODE

Meanwhile, the JLP is now in reform mode with Wright out the picture. Dawnette Foster, the councillor for the Cornwall Mountain Division, has been dealing with the affairs of the party in the constituency.

Uter said the party will still maintain its presence in the constituency that’s voted for the opposition People’s National Party (PNP) in every election since the seat was created in 1959 except for 1980, 1983 and 2020.

“We have fought very, very hard to win it.”

Dr Lloyd Barnett, one of the country’s leading constitutional attorneys, said with Wright resigning from the JLP and having already been removed from the party’s parliamentary caucus, there’s nothing else anyone can do.

He said Wright would now be expected to sit separately from JLP members of the House and vote his conscience since he is no longer subject to the JLP’s whip.

“The question is whether his position is compatible with membership of the House and the representation of his constituents. There’s no way of deciding that other than by his resignation because there’s no method of expulsion,” Barnett said.

An accusation, he counselled, is not a disqualifying factor.

Jamaica does not have impeachment legislation nor do citizens have the power of recall and MPs can only be forced to leave their seats under strict circumstances pursuant to Section 41 of the Constitution, including becoming bankrupt, convicted of a crime and sentenced to six months or more, certified insane, confirmed a “criminal lunatic”, or missing a certain number of House sittings.

Wright’s two-month leave of absence from the House for “unforeseen circumstances” expires on June 21.

The Jamaica Council of Churches (JCC); the National Integrity Action (NIA), an anti-corruption group; and the PNP say their calls for Wright to step away from Parliament remain.

Reverend Newton Dixon, president of the JCC, said Wright’s latest action suggests he’s “struggling” with doing the “right thing”.

“I get the sense this is a struggle – a difficult decision – and I don’t think Wright is the kind of person that has no sense of right and wrong. I think what we’re seeing is a difficulty and the confrontation with the challenge of a difficult decision to walk away from power.”

MPs earn approximately $4 million annually in basic wages, but wield significant influence over allocation of state resources.

LACK OF STANDARDS

Professor Trevor Munroe, the NIA’s principal director, said the situation highlights the continued lack of established standards to govern the conduct of members of the legislature, especially when such protocols exist for the judiciary and members of the executive – the other branches of Government.

“The public and fair-minded Jamaicans must sustain the demand that Wright resign from Parliament and that the Government expeditiously develops, in consultation with the Opposition and the public, the code of conduct for MPs promised 12 years ago,” he said in a statement.

“Can it be right,” he argued, that “once an MP is not proven to have broken the law, he is free to behave without any moral compass whatsoever, even to bring the institution into further disrepute?”

In a statement, the PNP said the latest development “takes the country nowhere” and that the situation smacks of impunity, and will be a continuing embarrassment to the nation’s Parliament and the people of Jamaica.

While the balance of power does not change in Parliament with a reduction in JLP numbers to 48, political commentator Shalman Scott said it won’t necessarily be easy for the PNP to claw back power in the constituency.

“It’s not automatic that the PNP can just willy-nilly get in there, despite its history of successes. It needs to do its analysis to make sure it does not diagnose wrongly.”

Collin Hitchman, acting chairman of PNP’s Region 6, which covers Westmoreland, said the interim chairman of the constituency is Devon Thomas, a councillor who took over following the resignation and defeat of Dwayne Vaz in last year’s polls.

A JLP statement announcing Wright’s departure from the party said the MP is to address matters in the public domain and expressed his continued belief in the policies and programmes of the Government and the party.

Views from Westmoreland leaders remain strong that their local MP should go.

“Out of good conscience, he has to determine that in light of what has transpired resigning as member of parliament has to be the next step,” said Hartley Perrin, Anglican priest, custos of the parish and Wright’s spiritual adviser.

Bertel Moore, chairman of the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation and a PNP councillor, said there is a question about how Wright will represent his constituents as an independent.

“If he knows he is guilty, it is very bad and he should resign completely,” he said.

The Gleaner broke the story on April 12 that the police identified Wright in a viral video and named him a person of interest.

However, four days later, the police closed their investigation, saying they were no longer certain of the man’s identity, although confirming that Wright and a woman, Tannisha Singh, filed separate assault complaints against each other.

The two did not cooperate further with the police.

jovan.johnson@gleanerjm.com