Derrick Smith, Opposition Spokesman on National Security.
THE JAMAICA Labour Party (JLP) remains
resolute in its opposition to granting the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) additional powers to carry out policing duties on its own.
That was the position adopted by the party, which constitutes the parliamentary opposition, when the matter came before a joint select committee just over a year ago and, according to Derrick Smith, Opposition Spokesman on National Security, nothing has transpired since then to change the JLP's view.
"The JLP's position, as we speak, remains the same: we are against granting the military police powers under any circumstances," he told The Sunday Gleaner.
While acknowledging the dilemma faced by the military in circumstances such as those outlined by Chief of Staff, Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin, in a related story in today's paper, Mr. Smith insisted that soldiers have not allowed the current legislation to constrain their actions in various other situations.
During the recent controversial operation in Tivoli Gardens, West Kingston, he said soldiers were seen acting on their own.
"We do not want to give them carte blanche police powers," Mr. Smith reiterated.
E.M.
