JLP criticised for reselection of Dalrymple-Philibert

By Racquel Porter   

 

The Jamaica Labour Party is coming under further scrutiny following the reselection of former Member of Parliament Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert to represent the party in the November 22 by-election in Trelawny Southern.

 

On Wednesday, party leader, Prime Minister Andrew Holness said Mrs. Dalyrmple-Philibert's selection is supported by popular demand.

 

Speaking Thursday on the Morning Agenda on Power 106, political commentator Damion Gordon, while noting that he is struggling to understand the Prime Minister's thought process, said he was hoping that he would have been more judicious.

 

Pointing out that there is a strong perception and evidence of corruption and malpractice in public office in Jamaica, Mr. Gordon said reinstating Mrs. Dalrymple-Philibert sends a message of "anything goes". 

 

"We have no respect for accountability, no respect for probity, we have no respect for rule of law as well because if we are potentially sending somebody to the Parliament to make law, who has been...the subject of particular questions which may rise to law-breaking based on what the outcome of the court case, it sets a very bad precedent," he argued. 

 

He said the issue also highlights a disconnect between the political directorate and the people, since corruption is a "big issue" for Jamaicans and a reason the ruling party is declining in favourability. 

 

He said Mrs. Dalrymple-Philibert's resignation appears to have been a facade as the JLP had not selected a replacement caretaker, and was seemingly waiting for the negative news related to the former MP to die down. 

 

The People's National Party has also criticised the move, as it urged Jamaicans to speak out against the reinstatement of Mrs. Dalrymple-Philibert as the JLP's standard bearer for Trelawny Southern.

 

PNP General Secretary Dr. Dayton Campbell said the move is highly contemptuous of the country's judicial system, considering the former MP has eight outstanding criminal charges arising from her allegedly making a false statement in her statutory declarations to the Integrity Commission.

 

"Now if that person were to win the election on November 22 and the courts rule on December 5...for the criminal charges against her, what would be the position that the country would be in? It seems awfully contemptuous of the court and, you know, smacks with a level of arrogance, disregard for process that one would have resigned and be returned without the resolution of the matter," Dr. Campbell asserted Thursday on the Morning Agenda.

 

Mrs. Dalrymple-Philibert had omitted a Mercedes-Benz motor vehicle from her filings to the Integrity Commission between 2015 and 2021.

 

She stated that the omission of the vehicle was a genuine oversight.

 

She is to return to court on December 6 when Parish Court judge Leighton Morris will decide whether the Integrity Commission's case against her should be thrown out or proceed to trial.