Some Labour Party members embarrassed by 'Dudus' drama
Published:Friday | May 21, 2010 | 12:00 AM
As the ongoing extradition drama over west Kingston stongman Christopher 'Dudus' Coke continues to shift from the streets to the legal arena, nervous members of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) are admitting that they are embarrassed that a small community continues to hold the nation under siege. The members asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter.
"I am embarrassed that the country has been forced to adopt a wait-and-see attitude as Jamaicans remain unsure about the plans of the people of Tivoli Gardens," a senior member of the JLP commented.
"And it is a community that is represented by the prime minister. I am so embarrassed that he is powerless to do anything about it," the member declared.
Another government member commented: "I have never seen this in all my years - one citizen holding a country at ransom."
The statements seemed to have served as a precursor to the massive protest by residents of Tivoli Gardens on the outskirts of the community.
A JLP member noted that most of the events planned for this week have either been postponed or cancelled as the Government and the nation put business on hold becasue of the uncertainty over the stability of country.
Yesterday, the Ministry of Education dispatched a statement advising students living in western Kingston who are sitting the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Exami-nation and are experiencing problems getting to and from examination centres to, where possible, stay with relatives and/or friends outside the area until calm is restored.
The ministry has already made arrange-ments for examinations scheduled to be held at schools in western Kingston to be moved to other locations.
Golding's powers questioned
Shouts of "no Presi, no prime minister" and "no Presi no Jamaica," by protesters yesterday, raised the question of the Golding's powers in the constituency he represents.
Presi - short for President - is one of the monikers applied to Coke.
"Imagine, we have more than an 8,000-policeman-and-woman force and thousands more in the army, including the reserves, and the country is held under siege by one community.
"How long can this continue to happen?" the member asked. "What is the plan that is being executed with the forces that we have?"
The JLP member said the Minister of National Security Dwight Nelson's call for calm, along with his reassurance that members of security are equipped to maintain order, seems lame.
Another member of the JLP says the prime minister urgently needs to put the Manatt, Phelps & Phillips issue to rest by removing those who compromised their positions.
"The situation is out of hand, a bold and courageous move is a necessary to start to bring an end to the ongoing issue including crushing the garrisons.