Dear Editor,
Can Jamaicans make more perfect the promise of Emancipation and Independence, these two most important political decisions in the last 200 years of our history? With it being 182 years after Emancipation, 54 years after Independence, and 10 years after signing the Agreement and Declaration on Political Conduct (Code), as Jamaicans we must reflect on whether each one of us has done our duty to our democracy.
I salute today all those, from the governor general, the courts, custodes and politicians, who have served us and those who have stood for political office, the political parties, party workers and adherents, as your sacrifice and activism have been critical to the growth of our great democracy. The State, civil society entities and citizens who work for the public good must also be commended for their important roles and service.
It is my hope that, as we celebrate this period, everyone of us becomes more aware of and committed to living the standards of politics as set out in the ‘code’ namely:
• non-violence and non-intimidation
• safety of private and public property
• avoidance of confrontation
• public utterances — do no harm
• freedom of access to practice politics
• avoidance of defacing of buildings or installations
• ending political tribalism
• code of ethics
Donna Parchment Brown, CD, JP
Political ombudsman
politicalombudsman@yahoo.com
Can Jamaicans make more perfect the promise of Emancipation and Independence, these two most important political decisions in the last 200 years of our history? With it being 182 years after Emancipation, 54 years after Independence, and 10 years after signing the Agreement and Declaration on Political Conduct (Code), as Jamaicans we must reflect on whether each one of us has done our duty to our democracy.
I salute today all those, from the governor general, the courts, custodes and politicians, who have served us and those who have stood for political office, the political parties, party workers and adherents, as your sacrifice and activism have been critical to the growth of our great democracy. The State, civil society entities and citizens who work for the public good must also be commended for their important roles and service.
It is my hope that, as we celebrate this period, everyone of us becomes more aware of and committed to living the standards of politics as set out in the ‘code’ namely:
• non-violence and non-intimidation
• safety of private and public property
• avoidance of confrontation
• public utterances — do no harm
• freedom of access to practice politics
• avoidance of defacing of buildings or installations
• ending political tribalism
• code of ethics
Donna Parchment Brown, CD, JP
Political ombudsman
politicalombudsman@yahoo.com