KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Opposition Leader Dr. Peter Phillips, indicating that the main opposition People’s National Party (PNP) has always maintained the need for “national consensus” to effectively deal with the crime situation, has agreed to meet with Prime Minister Andrew Holness on the matter.
Holness had written a letter to Phillips on Tuesday urging that the propped meeting be held ahead of the expiration of the state of emergency (SOE) as he called for a united front in dealing with the crime situation in Jamaica.
Jamaica can benefit from national consensus
“We have always been of the view that effective crime control would benefit from a national consensus and have consistently indicated that. We, therefore, remain willing to meet with you, preferably along with your stakeholders to be agreed, to have discussions and to reach a consensus as to solutions to control the monster of crime within the boundaries of our Constitution,” Phillips wrote in response.
But in his letter, Phillips said that the PNP had held talks with various stakeholders, including the church leaders, small business representatives as well as attorneys and “we have not found that there is an overwhelming consensus among said stakeholders that the use if emergency powers is the only way to control criminal activity.
SOE could be unconstitutional
“In addition, we have received advice from several Constitutional Experts that any extension of the State of Emergency in current circumstances will be unconstitutional and illegal. We have not heard a contrary legal opinion,” Phillip added.
Last week, the government failed to get support for its efforts to extend the SOE in place since January 2017 after opposition legislators voted against the measure Prime Minister Holness said was necessary to curtail crime and violence across the island.
Since the vote, there have been calls for the two leaders to meet to discuss the way forward and the private sector has led in holding discussions with the leadership of both the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the PNP that maintains its position on the matter.
The SOE had been imposed in several areas including St. James, Kingston Western, Kingston Central and St Andrew South as well as St Catherine North. It is due to expire in January.
Phillips in his letter said the PNP is of the opinion that “most of the powers under a State of Emergency are permitted under other legislation, which will allow for the implementation of solutions beyond usual law enforcement measures”.
