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Stabroek News

Holness sidesteps peace walk
published: Thursday | September 28, 2006

Gareth Manning, Gleaner Writer


Political Ombudsman Bishop Herro Blair (left) refuses to shake hands with Andrew Holness, Member of Parliament for the West Central St. Andrew constituency, after Blair's handshake was earlier refused by the MP on a tour of Olympic Gardens yesterday. - Junior Dowie / Staff Photographer

A tour of Olympic Gardens in the West Central St. Andrew constituency by the political ombudsman and members of the Peace Management Initiative (PMI), was aborted yesterday when placard-bearing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) supporters led by their Member of Parliament, Andrew Holness, refused to join the walk through the community.

Member of Parliament Andrew Holness, who had initially informed the ombudsman, Bishop Herro Blair, that he would not be a part of the tour because of issues with Patrick Roberts, People's National Party (PNP) caretaker for the constituency, turned up in the midst of the march but refused to join in. Mr. Holness who refused to shake the hand of Bishop Blair as he approached him, accused the PMI of hypocrisy and said it was supporting politicians of questionable character.

He said several regulations set out by the Political Code of Conduct had been breached and the double standard set by entities like the PMI was leading him to contemplate resigning from active politics.

"There are some serious breaches of the code of conduct in this area that are not being addressed, that are being glossed over and my greatest fear is that we will continue as a nation to suffer from political violence by glossing over the issue at hand," a heated Mr. Holness told the media.

"There are persons who associate themselves with people of ill repute, some of whom are criminals and organs of the state like the PMI basically hug up those persons," he added.

Filing a report

Bishop Blair said he was insulted by Mr. Holness' stance and said he would be filing a report of the incident and would invoke the powers of the ombudsman.

"I don't operate on political agendas and I will not operate on political agendas because that is where favouritism takes place," he said.

"This is my worse reception. This is the mother of all walks and it is offensive and it is destructive to the peace process. We have never had people demonstrating with placards in this manner, which means there was a degree and level of plan for confrontation and we will have to desist from having anything like this," Bishop Blair added.

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