PM: I’m no dictator

Holness deflects accusation as Bunting goes on attack

PRIME MINISTER Andrew Holness has pushed back at suggestions that he has demonstrated dictatorial tendencies in his leadership.

Debating an extension of the states of emergency in the Kingston Western and Central police divisions yesterday, newly appointed Leader of Opposition Business Peter Bunting indicated that the Holness administration had chosen social control over social investment in tackling crime in Jamaica.

Bunting argued that when he supported the Government’s zones of special operations (ZOSO), he thought this approach would have been expanded. However, he indicated that the administration chose to use states of emergency.

According to Bunting, social control was used in the form of states of emergency, curfews, widespread surveillance of citizens, and unjustified arrests while the Jamaica Constabulary Force has not been sufficiently developed.

“The JDF is growing in leaps and bounds. Militarisation of our policing is another definite trend in governments who put an emphasis on social control,”he added, referencing the Jamaica Defence Force.

Responding, to Bunting’s remarks, Holness said: “I find it actually offensive, personally, not in my political persona, for anyone to suggest that I am trying to be an authoritarian – that’s absolutely not the case”.

“Whenever there are exceptional powers to be utilised by the office that I hold, I have been very careful about how they are exercised,” the prime minister said, adding that he always subjected himself to parliamentary oversight.

Holness said that his administration had made no attempt to militarise policing in Jamaica.

However, Bunting insisted that the Government should invest heavily in schools in communities that are generating crimes. He said the Government should invest more in proper housing, infrastructure: sewage, roads, etc., and train people for employment.

“National security was 10 times the capital budget for education,” Bunting observed, telling his counterpart Education Minister Karl Samuda, “you can’t be happy with that.”

“If we keep investing 10 times in social control instead of social investment, we will keep getting what we are getting.”

The resolution was approved with 44 lawmakers voting ‘yes’.