Opposition decries 'humanitarian crisis' after Coopers Pen homes demolished

 

 

The opposition People's National Party (PNP) is calling for Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness to intervene directly and provide relief for the 40 families affected by Tuesday's demolition exercise in Coopers Pen, Trelawny. 

 

More than 20 homes were demolished over the more than 50-year-old land dispute between residents and private landowners. 

 

Some 48 hours after tractors tore through brick and mortar in the Northern Trelawny community, a different convoy rolled in Thursday morning, racing to rescue the evicted. 

 

Members of the People's National Party Shadow Cabinet converged on Coopers Pen to provide support and to demand what they say must be a comprehensive response to the displacement crisis. 

 

During his tour, Opposition Leader Mark Golding called for Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness, who has oversight for

infrastructure development, to expedite a solution to the humanitarian crisis. 

 

"I'm calling on him, identify an appropriate location and make the necessary investments so that the people can be restored. Now, while the Coopers Pen property has sections of it with formal titled houses, there [is] another section which has very well established homes, concrete structures, properly built, but are in jeopardy because they don't have titles. The question is what is going to happen to them, and I would call on the government immediately to begin a process of negotiation on their behalf," he urged. 

 

He said the last PNP administration attempted to regularise the land tenure for the residents, but was unsuccessful.

 

"The last PNP administration did attempt to create a community under the Housing Act for these people. It was gazetted by the Minister of Housing. However, it was contested by the owner and the matter went to court, and in the Court of Appeal the matter ended and the community didn't get any form of protection from the court at that time. So it remains to the government to find a solution for them," Mr. Golding argued. 

 

Meanwhile, Opposition Spokesperson on Land, Lothan Cousins, contended that the government failed to exhaust its legal options after a judgment was handed down by the court in 2017 which compromised the residents. 

 

"After the judgment was handed down, it was the right of the government to appeal to the Privy Council. The government did not appeal to the Privy Council, which left these residents exposed. In 2016, there was an incident at 85 and 85½ Red Hills Road, similar to this. The government invoked Section 4 of the [Local Improvements (Community Amenities) Act]. That option was also available to the government to do it here, and the government must invoke Section 4 of [the Act] similar to what they did at Red Hills Road. It is the only way to prevent a further demolition," insisted Mr. Cousins.