Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness says the Government will try to come to an agreement with the Opposition on the use of states of emergency (SOE) declarations, after making several attempts to get the opposition’s support.
The Opposition has criticized the implementation of the security measure, claiming it is not an effective instrument but rather an avenue for violating Jamaicans’ rights.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness on Wednesday morning announced the reimposition of 14-day SOEs in St James, Westmoreland, Hanover, St Ann, Clarendon, St Catherine, and sections of Kingston and St Andrew.
When asked about the Opposition’s engagement on the subject, Holness indicated that he plans to reach out to the Opposition again in early January.
He added that the framework of the Vale Royal Talks will be used for the discussion.
SOEs were declared for seven parishes on November 15. However, Opposition Leader Mark Golding rejected the government’s request to extend the SOE until January 14, 2023.
Likewise, Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ), a non-governmental human rights and social justice organization disapproved of the extension and urged senators to reject the request for a 46-day extension which was debated.
JFJ said the poor and marginalized should not be sacrificed in the fight against crime, claiming that thousands were arrested and detained but never charged, lost jobs, incurred medical expenses, and were abused by the security forces during the state of public emergency.
