The Following is a Press Release from the Shadow Cabinet Minister with Special Responsibilities for matters relating to Portmore. Fitz Jackson MP - 20250127:
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| Fitz Jackson MP |
The government has resumed its pursuit of reinstituting the tribalized practice of gerrymandering in Jamaica under the disguise of creating a 15th parish. On the Order Paper of Parliament for January 28, 2025, is the Counties and Parishes (Amendment) Act, 2025 to be tabled. This certainly will be rammed through Parliament, much the same way others like the initial NIDS Bill and later the constitutional amendment to extend the retirement age of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Auditor General.
This is being done, notwithstanding the assurance by PM Holness on January 17, 2024, in Portmore, just before the recent Local Government elections, against the widespread public pushback from Portmore and the wider Jamaica.
The only goals of the 15th parish proposal are a narrow partisan self-serving desire to separate the people of
Portmore from the rest of St. Catherine in order to secure political control of the Spanish Town Municipal Corporation and create safe parliamentary seats for the JLP in Portmore ahead of the upcoming general elections due by September 2025. These goals of the government were confirmed by a former member of the Prime Minister Holness Cabinet and senior member of the Jamaica Labour Party, Minister Clifford Warmington publicly on Sunday November 12, 2023, in Portmore, and broadcasted in the public media. Then Minister Warmington stated that the boundaries of Portmore will be changed to ensure that areas of two Portmore constituencies that predominantly voted for the Peoples National Party will no longer be able to remain in those constituencies and local Government Divisions. This rebirth of gerrymandering in Jamaica under this JLP administration represents a retrograde move to undermine and reverse the gains to detribalize the democratic processes achieved since 1980!
The Bill being tabled in Parliament to establish new parish boundaries will consequentially change constituency boundaries and thus emasculate the fundamental intentions of the role of the independent Electoral Advisory Commission and provisions of the Representation of the Peoples Act. This, notwithstanding PM Holness declaration at a Portmore event on January 17, 2024, that: “Any change in the physical boundaries of a political geographical area will result in a change in voting outcomes, quite possibly, but that does not mean that you should not change political geographical boundaries. Indeed, there is a standard process engaged in, in a routine way by the Electoral Commission,”. He also stated then: “… there is no way that we could seek to establish a parish and it be clouded in political accusations. No, we would never do that, and I want the people of Portmore to be assured of that,” he said.
There has been no further engagement by the Government with the people of Portmore or the wider Jamaican public on the matter since those announcements on January 17, 2024. This proposed Act will, among other things, immediately terminate the direct election of the mayor of Portmore, a provision fought for by the residents of the Municipality over 21 years ago.
The Peoples National Party is reminding the Government that should it provide to gerrymander the boundaries of St. Catherine with establishment of new political boundaries unilaterally, we will respond strenuously and forcefully in the Courts and on the streets in protection of Jamaica’s democratic achievements against political tribalism over the past forty-five (45) years. Upon forming the government after the upcoming general elections, the Act establishing a fifteenth parish will be repealed without delay, and the people of Portmore exhaustively consulted on any changes they wish prior to make, including the direct election of their Mayor.
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Jamaica already has too many parishes.
ReplyDeleteWill more parishes mean a more productive and prosperous Jamaica.
Will it stem the destruction of the Jamaican Middle Class(being able to spend at least US$40,000pa) now down to less than 10% of the population.
Will Portmore become a new conglomeration of garrisons or Jamaica's largest.
More administrations mean a greater stress on the already overtaxed population.
Even the myriad of MPs and councilors seem to be a source of confusion and the development of under development,corruption,
uncivilization and a thriving crime industry
Perhaps one MP per parish would be sufficient as it is the Public Servants who carry the nations administrative work load.
No new parishes for style and electoral fashion.
A blatant waste of resources .
@Micspen what are the extra taxes that becoming a parish brings and what jurisdiction are you comparing us to when you say we are overtaxed? My fear is the proposed tax on imported basic food items that will be imposed on us if the PNP forms the next government and the immediate drastic decline in decency and morality that will take place with their full support.
DeleteNever before have I seen political candidates boast about being endorsed by the purveyors of crassness, immorality and violence production as if it's an enviable achievement, so much so that they parade them on their platform to tell people to s_ _k dem madda and to boast that a badness dem seh. But even worst than that, there is a social media post of an interaction between PNP aspiring candidate, Danishka Williams and a constituent.where she called the constituent a mongrel because she never liked what was said.
I would not be surprised if the income tax threshold is lowered and GCT is increased based on the utterances of the PNP against government decisions on those matter and that they consider Nigel Clarke the worst finance minister ever and Omar Davis the man who presided over the greatest transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich, the collapse of the economy, the mass destruction of the small and micro business sectors, the unprecedented increase in homelessness & hopelessness resulting in a spike in suicides, domestic violence and broken homes as the best finance minister ever.
The long and short of Fitz Jackson's letter or statement is be is concern that the long standing practice of establishing changing constituency borders will result in his party losing some seats. He is not concerned about the lies of Dayton Campbell, the calculated orchestrated attacks on the Prime Minister's integrity by his party and it's proxies and the negative effect it could have internationally, that is of little importance to him, what is eating him alive and keeping him up at nights is that Portmore becoming a parish may give the JLP, the party who as government, has piloted Jamaica, though battered and sinking through the most treacherous of waters to safe port, effectively repaired the engine and structure so much so that it now out sails and exposes many of the other vessels we once spoke of and wish we were like as just vessels with shiny exteriors, for they are now asking us for advice and we are being studied as the most extraordinary lesson in recovery, improvement and stability. So much so that our deputy admiral, Dr. Nigel Clarke was sort after by one of the most internationally engaged financial institutions who knows is benefitting from his unquestionable expertise. Fitz Jackson should show his love for country over party by addressing at least a few of his party's disgusting deeds if it is his wish to be taken seriously by those who are not party faithfuls.
ReplyDeleteOh that we could get a knowledgeable and unbiased opinion!
ReplyDelete