PNP women want politicians with history of violence prevented from holding office

By Racquel Porter    

 

The People's National Party (PNP) Women's Movement is proposing evidence-based prosecution to prevent politicians with a history of violence from holding a seat in the Houses of Parliament.

 

The call comes two days after Member of Parliament for Westmoreland Central, George Wright was readmitted to the Jamaica Labour Party.

 

For the better part of the last four years, a domestic violence incident, caught on camera and widely circulated on social media, has dogged Mr. Wright.

 

The Central Westmoreland MP was never arrested nor charged in the incident, but he resigned from the JLP after the video began circulating in 2021, and had been serving as an independent MP.

 

In an exclusive interview with the Gleaner on Sunday, following a hero's welcome at JLP's Young Jamaica Westmoreland's Youth Conference at Godfrey Stewart High School, Mr. Wright said he has since grown from the unfortunate situation.

 

But speaking at a press conference Tuesday morning, president of the PNP Women's Movement Patricia Duncan Sutherland said normalising violence is a major problem in Jamaica.

 

Mrs. Duncan Sutherland said without bold legislative steps Jamaica's position on violence will remain unclear. 

 

"We need to look at introducing evidence-based prosecution. Because when we do that, it will be less likely that a situation like this would be left hanging and unresolved. Because the evidence was there and we could have questioned it and determined what was the situation," she said, suggesting this provision be contained inside of an impeachment bill. 

 

"We could put it in there that until there is a clear restoration of the offence, that this person would not be allowed to sit in Parliament. This is something that would strengthen our integrity act. It would strengthen our integrity in public office in Jamaica. It could be applied, yes, to domestic violence, but to all other aspects of life," she proposed.   

 

The PNP Women's Movement has described the readmission of Mr. Wright by the JLP as a betrayal of all women, particularly victims of domestic abuse.