Political ombudsman orders Golding to apologise to Montague

Opposition Leader Mark Golding has earned the ire of Political Ombudsman Donna Parchment Brown, who not only found him guilty of unbecoming political behaviour but ordered him to publicly apologise to the subject of his “demeaning” comments and pay a maximum of $20,000 to a charity in the offended party’s constituency.

Mark Golding, the president of the People’s National Party (PNP), is deemed to have breached accepted political behaviour when he called Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Chairman Robert Montague “likkle bwoy” and “Minister of Scandals” during a recent address to Comrades in a meet-and-greet tour in sections of the island.

Parchment Brown – in a two-page letter dated December 13 to Golding, and copied to Montague; JLP General Secretary Dr Horace Chang; PNP General Secretary Dr Dayton Campbell, and the party’s chairman, Angela Brown Burke – scolded him for conflating scandals within agencies of the Ministry of Transport and Mining, for which Montague now has portfolio responsibility, as well as during his tenure as national security minister, and pinning them on him without evidence.

The political ombudsman also appeared to be miffed at the non-response from both Golding and Campbell to an arranged virtual meeting set up for Golding’s convenience to discuss the issue.

“It is my finding that you have breached to Code (of Conduct) by the use of the words ‘likkle bwoy’ and ‘Minister of Scandal’. I therefore recommend that you 1: Make an unambiguous full throated apology on a public platform for using the words ‘likkle bwoy’ and ‘Minister of Scandals’ in reference to Mr Montague; write a brief note to Mr Montague conveying your apology for the use of the words ‘likkle bwoy’ and ‘Minister of Scandals’; make amends by a donation not exceeding $20,000 to a basic school in Mr Montague’s constituency in his name. I ask that these actions be taken by the 20th of December 2021, and evidence provided to me to close the matter,” Parchment Brown wrote.

‘MALICIOUS’ COMMENT

Quoting from the Code of Conduct, under section C of Public Utterance, which references words used that is “understood by the listener to cause embarrassment; cause upset; harm people or their reputation; be vengeful or having a wicked intent,” she said Golding’s comments appeared to be the case and amounted to being “malicious”.

“While you have stated that you mean no offence, you may have caused harm as your words were heard by many present and in the media,” she wrote.

Parchment Brown described Montague as “a Jamaican man over 55 years; a colleague member of parliament (MP); chairman of the governing political party; with family members and supporters, not a ‘likkle bwoy’ – these words have been complained of when used in many other settings in Jamaica as gratuitously demeaning, sometimes leading to extreme responses.”

She said the Act (Interim) was intended to, among other things, adjudicate on issues that harm democracy and that may prejudice good relations between supporters of various political parties.

Noting that the Code was signed in 2005 by officials of the two major political parties, making it binding, she said much more was expected from Golding as MP, the parliamentary Opposition leader and president of the PNP, and by the people of Jamaica.

Pointing to a previous exchange of letters (December 6) in which an explanation was noted for the comments, the political ombudsman said he should “share the video with other media houses for publication; issue a statement telling your supporters that you do not support violence and urging them to understand your intention and act in keeping with your explanation”.

She found “unacceptable” Golding’s explanation that the comment was “simple banter from a political platform”.

‘NO COMMENT’

Contacted yesterday, Montague said he had no comment on the contents of the letter read to him.

“I think you should speak with the political ombudsman because I have had no discussions with her for over nine months. She may have spoken with me during or before the general election last year,” he told The Sunday Gleaner.

Asked if he received correspondence from her office regarding the Opposition leader’s comments, he said, “Again, I refer you to the political ombudsman. I know that Mrs Parchment Brown and her office always keep the public up to date on all matters and actions taken.”

He also offered “no comment” when asked if he was contacted by Golding.

Yesterday, Parchment Brown told The Sunday Gleaner that her office does not always issue press releases, but when it does, it is always for the greater good and most times at the end of the process to avoid trying the matter in the public domain.

“Sometimes I issue releases depending on whether I am of the view that what is happening can create harm. I have issued no releases during the month of December, despite some of the issues that have arisen. But what I have done typically, but not always if there is a complaint, I send a letter to the chair, leader and general secretary of the party and also to the other side. Both parties get the same letter, and the person complaining. It’s up to them what they do with what I send them,” she explained.

“In the case of the video of the Opposition leader, it was brought to my attention by persons not in any party, but who were concerned about what happened and negative reactions after. Based on that, I reached out to the persons involved, to the person who the video showed had made the statement. We are not trying to harm anyone. We are trying to make the politics better.”

DISAGREE

Yesterday, the Opposition leader said he was only made aware (Saturday) that there was a letter from the ombudsman to him.

Golding responded in the evening, disagreeing with her conclusions and made counter recommendations.

“I respectfully disagree with your conclusions and, therefore, recommendations,” he noted, adding that, inter alia, “Your letter says that ‘The conflating of scandals within agencies of the ministry on the minister is troubling without evidence of culpability for wrong acts’.

“With due respect, that statement shows an unfortunate and disappointing lack of appreciation for the principle of accountability and ministerial responsibility for serial misdeeds within the ministries he has headed. The buck stops with him.”

Ahead of the Local Government elections due by February 2022, the political tempo has increased in sections of the island. A video emerged of Kingston Central MP Donovan Williams painting sections of a sidewalk in green, the colour associated with the JLP. Sections of the sidewalk were painted gold and white, but were repainted green. Residents had repainted it white, but the MP himself was seen repainting it green.

JLP’s Dr Chang said he would be visiting the area but noted that individuals were showing their pride in associating with the party.

erica.virtue@gleanerjm.com