‘STEP ASIDE’

ANGLICAN ARCHBISHOP of the West Indies and Bishop of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, Dr Howard Gregory, has argued that controversial lawmaker Everald Warmington is unfit to remain as a member of the Integrity Commission Oversight Committee (ICOC) and the Joint Select Committee reviewing the IC law.

Warmington declared, in a video that went viral, that he would not channel public funds to People’s National Party (PNP) councillor-elect Dr Kurt Waul in the Old Harbour South division in his constituency, but would instead allocate resources to the losing Jamaica Labour Party candidate.

“He should step aside and it should come automatically in light of his public comments,” said the senior member of the clergy.

He added: “It is most inappropriate for him to continue on those committees to play with things that have to do with integrity and the commission.”

And Lloyd B. Smith, former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives and political commentator, said Warmington’s utterances as member of parliament for St Catherine South West and in his then capacity as minister with responsibility for works should disqualify him from remaining on the parliamentary committees.

At the same time, Mickel Jackson, executive director of Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ), has echoed similar concerns about Warmington’s continued membership on the two parliamentary committees dealing with integrity-related issues, as well as the committee reviewing the Protected Disclosures Act.

“His conduct and utterances make him unfit to review key legislation and framework responsibility for integrity and anti-corruption in the country. It is inimical to good governance to have this representation continue. He must be removed forthwith by the prime minister,” Jackson said.

But chairman of the ICOC and the committee reviewing the IC law, Edmund Bartlett, said the choice of whether Warmington remains on the committee or not “is his and it’s not for the Parliament to say that he is not fit or proper to be on the standing or ad hoc committees, sessional or otherwise, of the Parliament”.

He stressed that as chairman of the committee it was not in his place to express a personal position on the matter as that is a decision that the member would have to make himself.

“All these matters have to pass through a crucible within the party, so we don’t just appoint members willy-nilly nor do we dismiss members in a similar form,” he told The Gleaner.

Bartlett, who is also leader of government business in the House, said that “membership of committees in the House is related to your standing as a member of the House and everyone in good standing in the House is eligible to be a member of all standing and other committees of the House”.

According to Bartlett, “The fact that he has made a statement for which he has expressed apologies and for which he is bearing the ultimate price of not being a Cabinet member anymore makes the point about his whole position of contrition in that regard.”

However, Smith contended that the controversial lawmaker should “do the honourable thing and recuse himself from those positions”.

He noted the Integrity Commission’s statement which signalled that the board of the anti-corruption body was planning to review Warmington’s remarks at its meeting on March 4.

“We need persons of a certain level of integrity to sit on those bodies without any sort of baggage attached,” he said.

The JFJ boss said her organisation welcomed Warmington’s sacking from the Cabinet, as well as the removal of Dennis Meadows as the People’s National Party’s caretaker for Trelawny Northern for statements he made that are widely viewed as supporting lottery scamming activities.

While speaking on the campaign trail recently, Meadows stated that, “I have no problem with a man if him want chop, because they chop us during slavery.”

He added that the “only problem with chopping is when yuh bingo and yuh score, use the money wisely.”

Commenting on Warmington’s statement in which he tendered an apology for his remarks, Jackson said there was no “real self-accountability given the levels of obfuscation and basically insulting the Jamaican people by saying what was clearly seen in the video was not what it was – political victimisation and promises of misappropriation of public funds”.

Continuing, she said: “We take offence to this. For a leader to demonstrate they are worthy of our trust, self-accountability and contrition are important when harm is done. We therefore call on Mr Warmington to offer his resignation as he has disqualified himself from sitting in the House of Parliament due to his consistent crude behaviour that undermines principles of good governance, the Constitution and sense of moral authority.”

The ICOC has the duty of monitoring and reviewing the performance of the functions of the Integrity Commission; reporting to both Houses of Parliament on any matter relating to the performance of the functions of the Integrity Commission; reviewing the annual report and any other report of the Commission and submitting recommendations in relation to both Houses of Parliament.

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