MOTHER OF ALL SCANDALS

By ANDRÉ STEPHENS, Deputy General Secretary, MCYL

YET ANOTHER!!!!!!!!
Last week Tuesday, every honest-minded, tax-paying Jamaican must have cringed in his seat from the sick tide in his stomach, watching and listening to revelations by the Leader of the Opposition in parliament that evening that Trafigura, the company contracted by this government to lift and sell oil on behalf of the country, had in fact made a generous ‘donation’ to at least one account set up by Colin Campbell and the PNP for their personal campaigns.

The account balance shows Trafigura lodging $31 million on three separate occasions just before the PNP conference was held and more importantly, right before their contract with the government was due to be renewed. The official PNP response would have us believe that this kind-hearted, charitable organization based in Amsterdam and having no ties to the island except its contract to sell our oil, just wanted to give money to the party for no particular reason. Furthermore, they expect us to believe that the fact that the payment was made just before the PNP ministers decide to renew the contract is a mere coincidence.

TAKING US FOR FOOLS!
How they imagine us to be simplistic idiots willing to accept anything they say, but the sad reality is that there are many who have actually bought it. These are the people who put comrades before country and are as corrupt in thinking as the PNP is in doing! In their embarrassment, the PNP have gone on a smear campaign, maligning those who revealed the truth and threatening to sue the Opposition leader, the newspapers and anyone else who presses the issue. Let us recognize that Trafigura’s only interest in Jamaica is its selling of the oil we get from Nigeria; so its only interest in who forms the government must be related to its interest in Jamaica- OIL!

This company that is so kind to poor Portia and her ministers collects the valuable Nigerian oil worth US$60 a barrel, sells it on our behalf and gets about US$59.88 since we only earn all of 12 cents. With such an arrangement, especially since the company has been losing money from being convicted of crimes in both the US and the Côte d’Ivoire, one can see how Trafigura might feel it has to do what is necessary to keep its contractual arrangement with this PNP government.

MUST RESIGN!
On Sunday, Colin Campbell tendered his resignation as Minister of Information and Development, citing that he should have told the party secretariat about the monies received. This is the party’s futile attempt to dissociate the prime minister and those who staunchly defended Campbell’s actions from the scandal by having them plead ignorance. So they expect us to accept that Campbell unilaterally and without the party’s consent, accepted these monies and moreover, nobody bothered to ask where the money came from for the conference or even looked at the donations! This in itself would show incompetence on the part of the party’s leader and a disregard for her authority.

How many more monies have been sent to the party from questionable sources while Mrs. Simpson-Miller is asleep at its helm; but this, of course, is only if you can believe that she did not know that $31 million had been given to her campaign efforts. Surely the resignation of Campbell alone cannot suffice when, even after the evidence was presented, the PNP still said there was nothing wrong with this sleazy transaction. In any self-respecting democracy, a government caught in this scandal would have to resign, if not by their own doing, then at the behest of the people. As Mr. Golding has said:

“This government has acquired immunity to scandals but there comes a time when enough is enough. That time has come! It is time for this wretched government to go. This one needs no commission of inquiry. It needs no press conferences. It is beyond the scope of damage control. It needs only a simple decision – to do the honourable thing.”


But what if they don’t resign honourably? Then the people shall make them do it for the sake of every Jamaican who has chosen honesty over hanky-panky, probity over pilfering and generation. Let us therefore save Jamaica from itself.


TRAFIGURA AND ITS SCANDALS
Trafigura is a relatively new company (formed 1993) that has had a very eventful record. It was indicted in US Courts in the now infamous Iraq Oil-for-Food scandal, pleaded guilty and was fined US$8 million and ordered to forfeit US$9.9 million of oil shipments which were seized in the Caribbean sea in 2001 and falsely represented to be incompliance with UN Resolution 986. Included in the indictment was an affidavit which said that Trafigura shredded records of the oil purchase and replaced them with false documentation.

Trafigura and the Ivory Coast toxic waste scandal Approximately one month ago Trafigura was implicated in the dumping of tons of toxic waste on the streets of Abidjan, the capital of Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast). Eight persons died as a result and thousands had to receive medical attention. It led to the resignation of the entire Cabinet.

It is clearly not true that honour resides only in Westminster. It obviously resides also in Abidjan. Two senior executives of Trafigura were arrested and charged with poisoning and violation of toxic waste laws and are still in custody.
-as quoted by Bruce Golding

A SAD SITUATION

By Trevor Wanliss

WITH the elections around the corner, Portia announces that she will spend $635M to give 12,000 people jobs over the next few months. Isn’t this another method of presenting the pork barrel? Isn’t this another Crash Program? How can there be any hope of economic development for Jamaica, as such expenditures do not contribute anything to the G.D.P.

The people need jobs, yes to take care of their families… to put food on the table, to send their children to school, for clothing and other amenities. All this, never came to their minds, since the last General Elections, nor to her for the 17 years in office, only now. There was so much complacency for the “Gully Bank System". To win an election, by picking out 12,000 people at an average income of approximately $53,000 might be to some satisfying. What of the time between the coming elections and the other 5 years to come.

The people of Jamaica have been suffering too long, languishing in poverty, as no provision has been made to give especially the children, proper education. Most people are kept at a standard given crumbs that the can be manipulated at election times like now. They should have nipped corruption in the bud. The rest of those in the UDC should be fired. Just look at the reports. Aren’t the Auditor General and the Contractor General reliable and responsible persons?

The Commerce minister, the Foreign Trade Minister, in conjunction with the Finance and the Agriculture minister should have been seeking markets abroad for the products of the farmers, especially, in order for them to have had gainful returns, instead to having the greater portions of their crops rotting in the field, not having market to take it off. In July of 1998 at the Jamaica Conference center in Kingston as the Gleaner carries the Minister of Agriculture in a speech condemning the Jamaican Workers as “the laziest people on earth". They have said it then and they are capable of repeating it again. The people need training in the production sector.

The P.M speaks that Omar is balancing the books. For many years he has failed in balancing the books properly. An escalating balance of payment like a "Run-a-way Train". This balancing will never be accomplished. You are only hearing of COST OVER RUN. The Economy is vital, Health care is vital, Education is vital, Security is vital. Abolish the Gully Bank system.

All this is Primitive.Abolish the oppressive bank interest rates. Give the Private Sector a more recognizable role in moving the economy forward. Government in lassez faire fashion to come in only when there is need to correct the in adequacies.

A JLP Government with a Golding lead Administration, is the only hope for improved educational system, for better health care facilities , for improved security, for improved Economic conditions where there will be attractive investments both local and foreign, that JAMAICANS and not Foreigners will be able to get jobs instead of standinng outside the work place looking in.

A sad situation.

[Get in touch with Trevor Wanliss, the Envoy/Coordinator for the JLP in North America, P.O. Box 2092 Stone Mtn. Ga. 30086 and become a direct Overseas member]

PORTIA’S VITRIOLIC STYLE

By Delano Seiveright

Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller on Sunday September 24, 2006 delivered her first address in the capacity as President of the Peoples National Party at her party’s 68th annual conference. Her rousing address to the packed arena has received a myriad of reactions from local commentators, some in civil society and ordinary Jamaicans. Some argued that it was her best speech ever, whilst others said it lacked substance and was a vitriolic in tone.

TIRADE OF CRITICISMS
To the surprise of many Portia sympathizers, the tirade of criticisms of her address has been overwhelming. On the popular morning talk show program, the Breakfast Club, the phone lines were opened up to allow some listeners to air their views about the Prime Minister’s address. To the surprise of the lead host, government Senator Professor Trevor Munroe, a total of 13 out of 23 callers disapproved her address. It is becoming increasingly clear that more and more Jamaicans are frustrated with the leadership of Portia Simpson-Miller and her administration. Some of callers were unable to complete their thoughts due to their seething frustrations.

NO SUBSTANCE
Her address focused largely on hyping up failed Ministers, rabble rousing, tracing the opposition Jamaica Labour Party’s leadership, announcing a six month crash work program among other unnecessary things. There was absolutely no comment on the desperate need for constitutional reform, youth development and other key matters of national importance.

INFLAMMATORY COMMENTS
The comments emanating from other speakers at the weekend long 68th annual PNP conference are indeed mind boggling. Dr. Paul Robertson, the PNP Campaign Director, swiped elements of the media for taking on an allegedly anti-PNP stance. His comments were so inflammatory that it caused some journalists to fear for their lives. What made the situation even worse was his singling out of a major local newspaper, accusing them of campaigning for the Jamaica Labour Party. Dr. Robertson’s verbally volatile comments were unambiguous and alarming.

GRAVE CONCERN
Mr. Patterson on the other hand expressed grave concern about the ability of the PNP to win several seats. There is no doubt that the PNP remains bitterly divided and that this will in effect continue to weaken their organization. Mr. Patterson appeared disturbed at the increasingly clear belief that the PNP is well on track to lose the next general election.

INTERNATIONAL LEGITIMACY?
The PNP went all out to get some amount of international legitimacy for their corrupt, bungling and profligate administration. They went as far as drawing on Mr. Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Prince Cedza Dlamini to give Prime Minister Simpson-Miller an endorsement. Clearly, he was completely incognizant of the terrible realities faced by ordinary Jamaicans, brought on the by the Michael Manley, PJ Patterson and Portia Simpson-Miller led PNP administrations of the last 17 years. It was indeed a disappointment. I guess he was just misguided.

Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Mr. Ralph Gonsalves, also joined in on the ringing endorsements of this failing administration. He has been, rightly so, chastised for his more than intrusive step into the political affairs of Jamaica. His comments on the conference floor speak to a possible ignorance of protocol by him.

A SPECTACLE INDEED
All in all the PNP conference was a spectacle indeed. The most damning display was that of the group of failed political representatives previously aligned to the JLP on stage. The PNP has taken them all with open arms. This is a yet again a clear illustration of the ruling party’s acceptance of failure. Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller is increasingly being surrounded by failures and this speaks to her ham-fisted style of leadership.

WISDOM NEEDED
Prime Minister Simpson-Miller needs more than ever to be surrounded by persons of wisdom. Her short stint as Prime Minister so far has been a colossal failure. So far there has been the massive cement crisis, which has severely impacted the economy, a worsening Sandals Whitehouse scandal, the Portmore toll road fiasco, a dramatic increase in political tension, cantankerous speeches, a worsening of public sector wage disputes, frequent jaunts overseas and several other failures and blunders on her part. The country at this time feels Leader less. There also seems to be no sense of direction.

WARLIKE POSTURE
Prime Minister Simpson Miller has also ratcheted up political tension in the country. Her warlike and quarrelsome posture at the party conference spells trouble for our beloved nation. Jamaica at this time and more than ever needs a Leader who can bring people together, not force them apart. Some thought that the Prime Minister would have known better. Well now they have been awoken.

Let us all unite to turn our country away from despair.