Golding eager for election; renews call for Chung to step aside from FID

 

President of the People's National Party (PNP) Mark Golding says Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness is delaying announcing the date for the next general election because he is worried that the PNP will be victorious at the polls. 

 

The parliamentary general election is constitutionally due by September this year. 

 

"And we can see that the government is afraid of the people because the five years at the end of which Parliament will dissolve automatically under the Constitution is almost upon us and yet they are still unable to call it because they know that if they call it, the day of reckoning will be there upon them and the government of this country will change, and the People's National Party will come back to lead this country forward into the future," he asserted.

 

Meanwhile, Mr. Golding has again appealed to Dennis Chung to step away from the Financial Investigations Division (FID). 

 

Mr. Chung commenced duties as Chief Technical Director of the FID last week Monday. 

 

There have been questions raised over the appointment, but the government has insisted that the established processes for such an appointment were followed with the Services Commission giving its approval.

 

The opposition has argued that previous statements by Mr. Chung regarding the probe into the finances of the Prime Minister are a disqualifier. 

 

Mr. Golding said in order to maintain the integrity of the FID, Mr. Chung should step aside. 

 

"It is a complete undermining of proper governance and democratic principles of transparency and accountability and we will continue to resist it. This cannot go forward. And I say to Dennis Chung himself, who is somebody I've known for many years, step back from it, Dennis. Clear the air and let the Financial Investigations Division be led by somebody who does not have those issues to deal with, because you are not the right person at this time.

 

"You are not fit and proper to lead that agency given the clear bias that you have showed in relation to the major issue that it has [been] tasked to deal with, and also the fact that your qualifications are not suitable to hold that position," contended the PNP president. 

 

He was speaking Sunday evening at a PNP rally in St. Ann North Western.