In Focus

The Spokespersons' Council (Shadow Cabinet) of the Opposition People's National Party held an important retreat on March 6 and 7, last weekend. This was part of its preparation to resume its role as government, whenever the electorate asks it to.

Dennis Chung has abandoned the usually narrow economistic concerns of financial analysts and is focusing almost exclusively these days on Jamaica's urgent need to fix our social problems, particularly crime and the lack of respect for public order. That's priority number one for Jamaica, not balancing the books.

Mr Prime Minister, tear down those walls and set yourself and the other captives free! You have promised to dismantle the garrisons and there is no better time than now. From The Gleaner of June 1, 2005: "Opposition leader Bruce Golding on Tuesday, May 17, appealed for the implementation of crime recommendations to dismantle garrisons and reshape politics in these communities.

The hot news of the last week has been the damning American report on Jamaica which mentions the Christopher 'Dudus' Coke extradition request; Prime Minister Golding's sharp rebuttal and the heated discussion on the role and power of the reputed don of...

One of the main reasons why the Christopher Coke extradition matter has generated such interest and passion is the hope that external pressure by the United States government will force the dismantling of garrisons.

The road that has taken recent Jamaican delegations to China has paved the way for Chinese assistance to Jamaica for road building, among other things. Chinese assistance in roadways and other ways goes back to our negotiations with China from 2004-5.

In a debate in the House of Representatives, just after the turn of the century, concerning the ratification by Jamaica of the Agreement Establishing the Caribbean Court of Justice, the then leader of the Opposition, Edward Seaga, expressed the view that the Privy Council was a court from which "pure justice" flows.

Euology for Professor Rex Nettleford delivered by Professor Edward Baugh at the service of thanksgiving at the University Chapel on Tuesday (February 16).

WE HAVE a lazy Parliament. So it was some good news to read in last Tuesday's Gleaner (February 16), "House to focus on laws", that "the Government has stated its intention to advance the legislative agenda of the House of Representatives before the 2009-2010 term ends on March 17".

IT ALMOST seems a waste of time discussing Jamaica's problems anymore. Everyone knows what they are and what the solutions are. But no one, from top to bottom, seems interested in doing what has to be done.

PARAGRAPH 12 of the Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies accompanying the Letter of Intent to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) boldly states that "to help protect the poor the social safety net will be significantly enhanced". This clear statement of concern for the most economically disadvantaged in our society enjoys very wide support.

Finance Minister Audley Shaw has, with the Jamaica Debt Exchange Programme (JDX) pulled off a tremendous feat which, until it actually happened, had seemed unimaginable.