NIA wants legislated Political Code of Conduct with criminal sanctions

By Prince Moore    

 

Watchdog group National Integrity Action is calling for the government to urgently implement the Code of Conduct for Parliamentarians and enact the Political Code of Conduct in law, with criminal sanctions for breaches.

 

This follows racially charged remarks by Members of Parliament Everald Warmington and Juliet Cuthbert Flynn on the campaign trail.

 

The Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica has condemned the remarks.  

 

The NIA endorsed the PSOJ's view, noting that politicians who incite racism or any other form of discrimination should be unequivocally condemned.

 

NIA Principal Director Danielle Archer says the MPs' comments aim to divide the country along racial lines and are disparaging and disrespectful to all Jamaicans.

 

She says the remarks further highlight the need for a code of conduct for parliamentarians.

 

"We've been asking for this ad nauseam because on one hand we were told it was ready. So where is it? And we do need a code of conduct, particularly in a space where we don't have a political ombudsman. Where is the referee?" she questioned. 

 

The Office of the Political Ombudsman was subsumed into the Office of the Electoral Commission of Jamaica in February.

 

"So in the context where we're having the Electoral Commission being asked to arbitrate between both political parties and their conduct and their behaviour, is that reasonable? Should we not ensure that we have an independent body who is sufficiently empowered to enforce our code of conduct? Ms. Archer contended.   

 

She said Prime Minister Andrew Holness should publicly rebuke the named parliamentarians for their racist remarks. 

 

"If not, we can all assume that his silence is consent. And if that is true, then it means that they're all surrogates. And if they are surrogates, this means that the message is coming from the top. And I highly doubt that our prime minister would condone such statement.... My prime minister is going to reprimand his parliamentarians because he knows that this is not what he encourages. And he knows that the very same young people that he's seeking to engage are looking up on his actions determining what they should follow and what they should not follow," asserted the NIA director.