The Sunday Herald Article Published: Sunday, May 9th, 2010 - The plot thickens! That is a good way to describe the unfolding of events in Jamaica these days. The Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke affair has given no hint of an early disappearance. The arrest of 78 members of the Canadian arm of Shower Posse by the Canadian police this week has added credence the US extradition request for Dudus and has severely damaged the credit of the Jamaican Government in this matter.
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| The Rev. Garnet Roper |
Some are holding their breaths for the salvo that is expected to be fired by Manatt Phelps and Phillips US law firm that it is also anticipated, will deplete the credit of the Golding administration.
Two questions among many demand a response: the first is what is the end game? Is there any good outcome to all of this that Jamaica can possibly anticipate? The second question is: is there any sector of the Jamaican society from which level-headed independent and courageous leadership can emerge to point in a direction that would save Jamaica from what seems inevitable ruin?
I have no idea what the end game will be; it is clear that things will get worse before they get better. The second question offers greater possibilities. We do not anticipate much from the Opposition, though it has been careful to not put a political foot wrong in this matter. It is not setting its sight on very high goals in this matter. For example, it has not appeared to embrace the opportunity that this controversy presents to put a wedge between those who lead us among the political class and the political militia.
Peter Philips has been unequivocal, but I think the Opposition Leader made a dreadful mistake in excluding any reference to the Dudus matter in her 2010/11 contribution to the Budget debate. Since that time the Opposition has been making some good noises, but hardly offering leadership. If well founded, this indictment may well afford us an opportunity with the help of the Canadians and the Americans to break the stranglehold of organized and international criminal network engaged in illegal drugs and guns trade, over Jamaican communities.
The Government has not embraced the opportunity to do so, rather it has done everything to preserve the status at the cost of considerable damage to Jamaica’s good name and US/Jamaica relationship. The Opposition up to now, has failed to be unequivocal in demanding that the opportunity be seized to permanently disrupt organized crime in Jamaica.
The dilemma
Aside from the protest in Spanish Town, the Church has stayed out of the fray in the Dudus matter. The happy hour continues but not much else is being heard from large sections of the Christian church in this matter. I am intrigued by the dilemma in which Sir Patrick Allen has found himself on the matter of signing of the Casino Bill into Law. Sir Patrick Allen has equivocated on the matter up to now. It is a remarkable twist of fate because in the history of the Christian Church few denominations have been as clear and unequivocal about the sinfulness of gambling like the Seventh Day Adventist Church.
Sir Patrick Allen, the former head of the SDA in Jamaica, is unclear as to what action to take in respecting of signing Casino Gambling into law. It means that as a churchman he was ill-prepared for this complex responsibility. He faces only two options: one is to sign the bill and make Casino gambling law in Jamaica and be disciplined by his church, which would have no choice but to distance itself from him or refuse to sign and write his resignation from the post of Governor- General.
This leaves us with the judiciary. We must avoid the council of despair but, truth be told there is not a lot of reasons to be optimistic about the judiciary or more precisely the courts of the land coming to Jamaica’s aid at this time. The news coming out of the judicial scene has recently left a lot to be desired
http://www.sunheraldja.com/2010/05/the-reckless-variety/
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