The National Democratic Movement commends the swift action of the new Political Ombudsman Donna Parchment-Brown in convening a meeting to get another apology from Westmoreland Member of Parliament (MP) Dwayne Vaz.
It is regretted that the apology was not directed to the Mount Salem People’s National Party (PNP) members and that they were not directly addressed. It was those PNP supporters whom MP Vaz was urging to use violence against their opponents.
The National Democratic Movement is also surprised that the Jamaica Labour Party General Secretary did not make this point, since he is an MP for a St James constituency.
The news reported within days that gunmen shot people in that area. The police, though not identifying the shooters, were quick to offer a motive about young men in a vehicle shooting up people because of lost gun and maybe lotto scamming. We know from CNN that the lotto scamming scheme has a strength in that area and has been exported to other constituencies, but the Police must provide accurate and detailed information about any shooting incidents because all Jamaica knows that many times platform arguments become the motivation for misdirected people to take action.
The new political ombudsman needs to go just a little further to ensure that all the people in Mount Salem and St James hear the apology and believe it to be a sincere statement from the Westmoreland MP. The new political ombudsman must request that the MP and/or the PNP pay for radio statements to be aired telling PNP supporters not to act on the Westmoreland MP urgings for which he has apologised.
Michael Williams
Chairman
National Democratic Movement
It is regretted that the apology was not directed to the Mount Salem People’s National Party (PNP) members and that they were not directly addressed. It was those PNP supporters whom MP Vaz was urging to use violence against their opponents.
The National Democratic Movement is also surprised that the Jamaica Labour Party General Secretary did not make this point, since he is an MP for a St James constituency.
The news reported within days that gunmen shot people in that area. The police, though not identifying the shooters, were quick to offer a motive about young men in a vehicle shooting up people because of lost gun and maybe lotto scamming. We know from CNN that the lotto scamming scheme has a strength in that area and has been exported to other constituencies, but the Police must provide accurate and detailed information about any shooting incidents because all Jamaica knows that many times platform arguments become the motivation for misdirected people to take action.
The new political ombudsman needs to go just a little further to ensure that all the people in Mount Salem and St James hear the apology and believe it to be a sincere statement from the Westmoreland MP. The new political ombudsman must request that the MP and/or the PNP pay for radio statements to be aired telling PNP supporters not to act on the Westmoreland MP urgings for which he has apologised.
Michael Williams
Chairman
National Democratic Movement