Vernon Daley

Some of our public commentators who have long been great advocates for a reduction of the power concentrated in the hands of the Prime Minister have conveniently cast aside their principles, it would seem, over this whole business of the appointment of a new Solicitor General.

They apparently have changed their minds about prime ministerial dictatorship and are now quite prepared to back the view that the Prime Minister - at least the current one - should get whatever he wants, whenever he wants.

Prime Minister Bruce Golding, it is said, has set his face against Professor Stephen Vasciannie getting the job as Solicitor General and even wants the dissolution of the Public Service Commission that recommended Vasciannie's appointment.

According to our erstwhile principled commentators, the Public Service Commission has no right to impose a Solicitor General on a government which doesn't want him. But why doesn't the administration want him? There is speculation that this is because of past personal differences between him and the current Prime Minister. Mr. Golding has not rejected this, so we are left to assume its truth.

Clearly, the personal relationship between a Prime Minister and a potential Solicitor General is an important matter, but it cannot be the decisive issue in the commission making a recommendation. What is of the greatest importance is the candidate's competence. If there is no issue about Professor Vasciannie's abilities as the best person for the job, then I see no reason to challenge the recommendation of the commission.

If a Prime Minister is to get whatever he wants, whenever he wants, then let us have him, in his sole discretion, make all these critical public sector appointments.

WHO IS RUNNING THE PNP?

It is now almost a week since the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) whipped the People's National Party in the parish council elections. Mr. Golding, the JLP leader, has said his piece on the results and what he feels the victory means to his party and his administration's plans for local government reform.

Unfortunately, we are yet to hear anything from the PNP's president, Portia Simpson Miller since the defeat. On election night, it was the party's general secretary Donald Buchanan who was the chief spokesman for the PNP, interpreting the results with his trademark spin. The party president was nowhere to be found.

Sleeping

In fact, I saw a news report on TV where Mr. Buchanan disclosed that Mrs. Simpson Miller had asked him whether she should have turned up at the party headquarters on election night to speak, presumably to supporters and the media.

The general secretary, to paraphrase, said he told Mrs. Simpson Miller that she shouldn't trouble herself, but instead should go home and get a good night's rest. Those around me watching that report erupted in uncontrollable laughter. I had no choice but to join in.

On reflection, I found myself asking: Who is running the PNP? Mrs. Simpson Miller, has slid into oblivion once again. This seems now to be her practice after an election. After September 3, she didn't emerge until the PNP's annual conference and then went back to ground.

One doesn't want to beat up on Mrs. Simpson Miller, but she isn't giving us much reason to applaud her. We need to see and hear from her - not just at election time. If her party is not successful at the polls, there is no reason to go into hiding. We need to hear much more out of the PNP president.