Dear Editor,
I was a bit taken aback when I saw National Security Minister Peter Bunting being rather emotional at a recent function, as highlighted on national television, confessing that he was very frustrated with our crime problem and it was taking strong faith for him to continue.
According to Minister Bunting, himself a recent victim to the criminal elements, despite the best efforts of the security forces, the criminals seem to be winning. He is of the view that nothing short of divine intervention can help us.
Such a talk sounds like the minister is surrendering, or has effectively concluded that there is nothing more that can possibly be done to arrest our crime problem.
Quitting, after all, is not unfamiliar to Mr Bunting. He quit the Parliament before the expiration of the term upon his election in 1993, when he famously ended the political career of former Prime Minister Hugh Lawson Shearer.
I find the confession rather amazing, given that Mr Bunting, while in Opposition, was of the view that, however idiotically advanced, Christopher 'Dudus' Coke and his criminal organisation were the reasons behind our runaway crime problem. Dudus's extradition to the United States and the dismantling of his organisation in 2010, he contended, would drastically reduce our crime rate.
There was indeed a marked reduction and control of crime as evidenced by the police statistics until January 2012, coincidentally at the time when the PNP assumed office. Since then, our crime problem has become a major issue once more.
Given Mr Bunting's position when he was in Opposition trying to ride the Dudus affair to possibly score cheap political points, it would appear that he assumed the national security portfolio with no real policy prescription or workable crime plan.
After all, if he felt our crime problem was solved by the extradition of Dudus and the dismantling of his gang, why would there be the need for a crime plan?
Mr Bunting has proven himself, since his Opposition days, to be quite out of depth with regard to matters of national security, and he probably should further assist or prompt Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller to revamp her poorly constructed Cabinet by tendering his resignation.
Kevin KO Sangster
sangstek@msn.com
Is Bunting throwing in the towel?
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I was a bit taken aback when I saw National Security Minister Peter Bunting being rather emotional at a recent function, as highlighted on national television, confessing that he was very frustrated with our crime problem and it was taking strong faith for him to continue.
According to Minister Bunting, himself a recent victim to the criminal elements, despite the best efforts of the security forces, the criminals seem to be winning. He is of the view that nothing short of divine intervention can help us.
Such a talk sounds like the minister is surrendering, or has effectively concluded that there is nothing more that can possibly be done to arrest our crime problem.
Quitting, after all, is not unfamiliar to Mr Bunting. He quit the Parliament before the expiration of the term upon his election in 1993, when he famously ended the political career of former Prime Minister Hugh Lawson Shearer.
I find the confession rather amazing, given that Mr Bunting, while in Opposition, was of the view that, however idiotically advanced, Christopher 'Dudus' Coke and his criminal organisation were the reasons behind our runaway crime problem. Dudus's extradition to the United States and the dismantling of his organisation in 2010, he contended, would drastically reduce our crime rate.
There was indeed a marked reduction and control of crime as evidenced by the police statistics until January 2012, coincidentally at the time when the PNP assumed office. Since then, our crime problem has become a major issue once more.
Given Mr Bunting's position when he was in Opposition trying to ride the Dudus affair to possibly score cheap political points, it would appear that he assumed the national security portfolio with no real policy prescription or workable crime plan.
After all, if he felt our crime problem was solved by the extradition of Dudus and the dismantling of his gang, why would there be the need for a crime plan?
Mr Bunting has proven himself, since his Opposition days, to be quite out of depth with regard to matters of national security, and he probably should further assist or prompt Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller to revamp her poorly constructed Cabinet by tendering his resignation.
Kevin KO Sangster
sangstek@msn.com
Is Bunting throwing in the towel?
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