Blair
Earl Moxam, Senior Gleaner Writer
POLITICAL OMBUDSMAN, Bishop Herro Blair, would like nothing more than to intervene in the ongoing squabble in the Jamaica Labour Party's leadership race, in a bid to restore peace between the two camps.
But, based on recent experience, he concedes that he does not have the authority to intervene.
"When a request was made for an investigation by my office re the deputy leader's race, some of the people opposed my investigation saying the Ombudsman Act did not allow me to intervene, and that was confirmed, so my hands are tied," Bishop Blair told The Sunday Gleaner.
VOTE BUYING
It was in June that Dr. Dennis Minott, the JLP's Caretaker for East Portland, sought the intervention of the Political Ombudsman to investigate a charge that there had been massive vote buying in the constituency during last November's deputy leader's contest for Area Council Two, in which James Robertson defeated the incumbent, Olivia Grange.
Bishop Blair actually launched an investigation, but had to abort the process when he was advised by the Attorney-General's department that the Ombudsman Act did not permit his intervention in internal party matters.
The Ombudsman is not happy with that state of affairs, however, arguing that he could play a useful role in helping to heal the growing rift between the Bruce Golding and Pearnel Charles camps in the JLP's leadership race.
"I would have thought that from the time we had the problem in Portland that the leaders (of the parties) would have put something in place for the Political Ombudsman to look at problems like the internal squabbles they are now having," he said.
The two sides have been accusing each other of engaging in a 'dirty tricks' campaign, citing mainly a series of uncomplimentary ads targeting Bruce Golding and a news release, purportedly from Mr. Golding's team falsely announcing that Don Creary had been removed from his post as the director of communication for the campaign.
Pearnel Charles has found himself on the defensive in both instances, having to deny knowledge of any of these matters. Regarding the controversial press release, he challenged Bruce Golding and Don Creary, 'if they are men enough', to have the matter investigated by the police so that the truth behind the incident could be fully revealed.
It was likely, he claimed, that the false statement was sent out by someone on Mr. Golding's campaign team in a bid to discredit their opponents in the leadership race.
This charge has been dismissed by Mr. Golding who, oozing confidence last week, told the media that he would give Mr. Charles a major whipping in the leadership election on November 6.
Mr. Golding expressed disappointment in Pearnel Charles, his brother-in-law, saying they had had an understanding that the campaign for leadership of the JLP would have been civil and would not have deteriorated to the level of bitterness that is now prevailing.
POLITICAL STATURE
This situation greatly disturbs the Political Ombudsman. "You have two men who are not just of apparent political stature in the country, but men who are supposed to be closely knitted in family ties. I am appealing to them stop it because it is not good for the party or for the country," he said.
Even at this late stage, he is calling on Prime Minister P.J. Patterson and Opposition Leader Edward Seaga to agree on legislative amendments allowing his office to intervene in such matters, bearing in mind not only the JLP's leadership contest, but also the one to follow in the governing People's National Party (PNP).
But Dr. D.K. Duncan, a former general secretary of the PNP, has strong reservations about the Political Ombudsman intervening in the current situation existing between the two JLP campaign teams. To do so, he told The Sunday Gleaner, may only serve to 'paper over the cracks' in the party without effectively dealing with the problem.
"If they keep up this level of misinformation and disinformation then it will reach the stage where the differences might be irreconcilable. Which may not be a bad thing because the JLP has had a history of conflicts and papering over of these conflicts, over the last 30 years and this has increased over the last 15 years," Dr. Duncan argued.
The quality and nature of the attacks were of such a nature as to suggest that there were deeper underlying problems, said Dr. Duncan. He sought to contrast the current situation with the 1992 presidential race in the PNP when, he claimed, the contenders were able to contain differences over issues such as the voters list largely within the party.
"We had our internal discussions and then moved on. But the differences that are occurring now seem to be a tearing-down kind. So it may be that some people should go after the leadership contest," he said.
Dr. Duncan, himself, who supported Portia Simpson in her bid to defeat P.J. Patterson in the race to succeed Michael Manley as PNP President, later left the PNP to join Bruce Golding's ill-fated National Democratic Movement (NDM). Today he largely stays out of the political fray, while Mr. Golding has made his way back into the JLP and is now the front-runner to succeed Mr. Seaga as JLP Leader.
But, on the present situation in the JLP, Dr. Duncan has a definite view: "The victor should not seek to create unity at all cost. If parties cannot behave in a particular way the public will have to judge them and the public should be left to judge them. I don't think it requires another layer of intervention with the Ombudsman trying to resolve it."
