Omar Anderson, Gleaner WriterSIX JAMAICA Labour Party (JLP) Members of Parliament and a senator have still not signed the Code of Political Conduct up to yesterday.
People's National Party (PNP) Senator Deika Morrison has not yet signed, but has signalled an intention to do so.
The JLP MPs who still have not signed the document are Abe Dabdoub, Dr. St. Aubyn Bartlett, J.C. Hutchinson, Mike Henry, Everard Warmington, and Andrew Holness.
Opposition Senator Dwight Nelson has not signed the document.
OUTSIDE BODY
Contacted on Thursday, Mr. Holness said he would not sign the document for which the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) has lobbied.
"It's as if we're making an outside body regulate us and we are taking a responsibility for promoting crime and violence," he said.
Mr. Holness said he was particularly offended by a section of the code which requires politicians "not to associate" with criminals. According to him, there is an assumption there was previous association.
On September 24, most MPs from the House of Represen-tatives signed the Code of Political Conduct which requires, among other things, that they not associate with criminals and that they refuse their gifts.
GROWING CRIME RATE
Earlier this year, the PSOJ conducted a rally at Emanci-pation Park in St. Andrew, against the growing crime rate.
A document, 'The Emanci-pation Park Declaration', created as a result of the rally. It called on politicians to sever ties with criminals.
However, a number of MPs were offended with the wording of the declaration, aspects of which were incorporated in the 2002 Code of Political Conduct which both political parties signed.
