Opposition Leader Mark Golding
Opposition Leader Mark Golding has described as shoddy governance, the tabling and subsequent withdrawal of the emergency powers regulations governing the current States of Emergency in the Lower House on Tuesday.
It was on Tuesday morning that Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced the reimposition and declaration of SOEs for fourteen days, in eight parishes.
The accompanying regulations were tabled, then withdrawn that afternoon to allow for review by the Attorney General.
The regulations were tabled in the Senate yesterday and are to be re-tabled in the Lower House next week Tuesday.
In an interview with Radio Jamaica News yesterday, Mr Golding questioned whether persons were detained under the current SoEs without the emergency powers regulations being in place "For three days the rights of the people have been in some kind of suspense, some kind of legal limbo and this is shoddy governance by a government that cannot manage and cannot govern the country in accounts to the rule of law."
Mr Golding however says the People's National Party will not suffer at the polls for the stance it has taken on States of Emergency.
The Opposition has refused to support extensions of SOEs, instead urging the Government to use other methods to tackle crime.
Nonetheless, Mr Golding strongly criticised the government for the lack of consultation prior to the declaration of another round of States of Emergency on Tuesday.
The Opposition Leader says it is the Holness administration that will be negatively affected by the continued use of the security measure "I think our Jamaican people are mature enough to recognise when somebody's standing up for what is right and standing up for their best interest so I don't believe we will suffer a price for this."
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