His principled position
“as the president of the party, has not made any attempt to inspire the confidence of persons who did not support him in the recent leadership race” that does not allow him to act in an entirely hypocritical and immoral way, particularly when at stake is a constitutional appointment necessary to the functioning of the State’s democratic processes.
In essence, Horne is using his senatorial appointment as leverage to force Golding to act in a manner consistent with his wishes. Those wishes being diametrically opposed to his own stated view that a new Opposition leader should have a free hand to appoint his slate of senators.
Horne’s actions are even worse if it is true that he does in fact hold United States citizenship. He would, as he is fully aware, be constitutionally barred from holding a Senate position. The leader of the Opposition and the governor general should, in keeping with their own duty to uphold the Constitution of Jamaica, act by withdrawing Horne’s appointment and bring this matter to an immediate end. For either of them to continue to fail to act would be a dereliction of their own constitutional duties.
Whilst it is Horne’s democratic right to challenge Golding’s leadership and leadership style, he — as an experienced politician and businessman — must know that there is more than one way to skin a cat. Unfortunately for Horne, one of those ways is not the hypocritical, immoral and unprincipled use of a constitutional appointment.
It is long past the time that
Jamaica should have politicians who act on ideals and principles and not on their own whims and fancies. Political office is a vehicle for service and nation-building, not a tool to advance personal agendas as Horne is now attempting to do.