This is the first of my twice-weekly bulletins. I am attempting to break down my focus on Jamaican happenings into more digestible chunks… Let me know what you think.
The Azan mess: On Monday, the Office of the Prime Minister issued a press release on the matter of the construction of allegedly illegal shops on government-owned land near the Spaldings Market in Clarendon, allegedly under the aegis of Member of Parliament Richard Azan. I use the word “allegedly” because the Simpson Miller administration appears to be retreating behind the quasi-legal argument of “It’s under investigation,” and “He’s innocent until proven guilty.” It’s not the first time the Government has used fake legality to wriggle out of a tight spot. Oh, sorry. The press release said that Minister Azan would remain a minister, pending an investigation by the Office of the Contractor General into the matter; I believe the Local Government Ministry and someone else are also investigating. The press release drew a distinction between Azan’s position as MP and as a Junior Minister in the Ministry of Transport and Works to justify this. This went down like a lead balloon. Disgust, resignation, cynical laughter were among the reactions on social media. The media and public have not stopped discussing it since.
…but no tissue to clean it up: The Bureau of Standards (BSJ) flatly refuses to disclose the names of the four brands (according to their latest release it is now three?) of toilet tissue that are reportedly contaminated with bacterial matter. The Bureau has posted a list of “OK” brands but are still testing. This is just a disgrace. Our tissue at home is not on the list. Is it contaminated? Well, sorry, you can’t have that information…
Corruption is only part of the story: The Prime Minister, in her inauguration speech of January, 2012, pledged a “zero tolerance” approach to corruption. But is the Azan affair simply a corruption issue? Mr. Azan said he had not benefited personally in any way from the Spaldings shops; but that is not the whole issue. This is poor judgment at best; and also a breach of regulations and possibly of the Parish Councils Act. Aren’t our elected public servants to abide by laws and regulations? After all, we ordinary citizens have to obey those laws. We don’t have the luxury of going back afterwards and say, “Oh, sorry, my bad…” Mr. Azan has admitted he made an “error”; therefore, why not at least step aside until the investigation is complete?
“He’s only human”: Yes, Minister Peter Bunting’s tears continue to resonate with some. He lost his mother, yes; he has so much to deal with, poor man. Yes, we are all human. But we elected him to lead, not to cry on our shoulder. Hard-hearted I may be. But if one can’t stand the heat… I would suggest that a man who has had a comfortable middle-class life, with a highly successful investment firm that basically took margins on government paper (nothing too tricky there), is bound to feel out of his depth tackling the complexities of Jamaica’s myriad crime issues. Yes, I do feel sorry for you, Mr. Bunting, because you have admitted failure. I think the Prime Minister should consider finding a new National Security Minister, who is not going to throw up his hands in despair and invoke divine intervention, in public. We need leadership and direction; not a public confessional.
The churches love it: Minister Bunting has certainly got the powerful and influential “Church” on his side. Of course, they agree on the Divine Intervention part. Another Member of Parliament, Mikael Phillips, dropped in a comment in a television interview on the importance of D.I., also scoring brownie points with the evangelicals. Now the Church is going to sit down and meet with Minister Bunting; and they are even considering the novel idea of mediation, according to a church leader. Never heard of mediation before, Reverend?
The journalistic tag team: The Minister of Information conducted the post-Cabinet press briefing today. Our elusive Prime Minister was absent. It was quite a departure from the usual briefing, during which journalists sit quietly and write down, word for word, the pronouncements of the Information Minister and others. I used to think, why not just hand out a sheet of paper to them all and have them duplicate it in the office? But our journalists are getting braver. Minister Falconer’s schoolmistressy voice and stern gaze did not deter a trio of intrepid broadcast journalists (the print media seems a little quiet these days) from besieging her with questions on the Azan issue. It was a little tag team of young men – Abka Fitz-Henley of Nationwide News Network, Andrew Cannon of CVM Television and Archibald Gordon of TVJ. Ms. Falconer remained fairly calm, and tried very hard to shut them down (“I am not going to say any more on this matter…I don’t want to comment further”) but started wading into deep water. It was not pretty, but she struggled through.
The Silent One: One would have thought that the Prime Minister would have spoken on the Azan issue. But no word directly from her. It appears that the Cabinet made a collective decision. Should she not have exercised some leadership here? But no. Silence.
Patriarchy rules OK: At the same press briefing, BSJ Chairman and Professor of Public Health Winston Davidson did not endear himself. He said there was “no need for mass hysteria” (yes, those silly hysterical women worried about vaginal infections) over the #TissueIssue. He stressed his decades of experience in such matters, describing the whole matter as of “minuscule” importance in the scheme of things – like most issues affecting women, perhaps. He said because it is so unimportant, no one should bother trying to file a lawsuit on the matter, or they will lose a lot of money. Meanwhile, the Bureau is hiding behind the “legality” of the matter and apparently fears a lawsuit itself – hence the non-disclosure.
The Silent One again: Could she, as a woman and responsible minister for women’s affairs, have put out a reassuring comment re: the #TissueIssue? No. Silence.
The last word: Thank God for Simon Crosskill, my new feminist hero! He really laid into the bureaucrats on the #Tissue#Issue. “How dare you” exercise this blatant discrimination against women, he said. He suggested that if a product affected men’s testicles (!) the matter would have been addressed very quickly indeed. Marvelously trenchant remarks. But although toilet tissue may have sparked hundreds of witty tweets, the issue of accountability, transparency and serving the public health interest is a very serious one indeed. How can they keep this information from us?
Ganja is not a seaweed: This comment by a Resident Magistrate made me laugh. She was listening to the pleas of a group of accused drug dealers, who allegedly threw their load of marijuana (ganja) overboard. I guess it didn’t sink.
A pat on the back: Last week in Miami, businesswoman and philanthropist Thalia Lyn received the Humanitarian Award from the American Friends of Jamaica, which is headed by the indefatigable former Ambassador to Jamaica Sue Cobb.
In the past three days, more Jamaicans have died, including a senior citizen in Kingston. What a sad world we live in.
Paul Brown, 55, Cabbage Hill/Cumberland, Clarendon
Lauriston McLarty, 93, Gilmore Drive, Kingston
Bundin Roper, 67, Tower Street, Kingston
Unidentified man, Harbour View, Kingston
Rosemarie Taylor, 44, Shanty Town/Bath, St. Thomas
Killed by police
Barrington McAnuff, 20, Lilliput, St. James
Related links: Local contributions in purple! If you pick out the links of interest to you, you will find much more detail on the above riveting stories!
Parched Earth Sunday: April 14, 2013 petchary.wordpress.com
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/OCG-probing-construction-of-shops-at-Spalding-market OCG probing construction of shops at Spalding Market: Jamaica Observer
http://thecrooksofit.livejournal.com/2338.html Probe of Clarendon market – official statement: thecrooksofit live journal
http://www.jis.gov.jm/news/list/33576 Cabinet welcomes OCG probe into Spaldings Market shops issue: Jamaica Information Service
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130415/cleisure/cleisure1.html Callow Barnswell, shameless Azan: Gleaner editorial
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/latest/article.php?id=44128 I had no corrupt intentions, says Richard Azan: Gleaner
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130417/letters/letters1.html Will Azan prove himself to be an honorable man? Letter of the Day/Gleaner
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130416/cleisure/cleisure4.html Mayor Barnswell, you just don’t get it! Letter to the Editor/Gleaner
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/letters/Of-a-PM-s-persistent-silence_14077733 Of a PM’s persistent silence: Letter to the Editor/Jamaica Observer
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130417/cleisure/cleisure1.html The PM’s divestment of leadership: Gleaner editorial
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130417/letters/letters1.htmlhttp://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Harrison-hits-out-at-corruption_14067493 Harrison hits out at corruption: Jamaica Observer
http://www.og.nr/rbt/13479-indecom-15-increase-in-fatal-shootings-by-the-police.html 15 per cent increase in fatal shootings by the police: On The Ground News Report
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130415/lead/lead1.html ”We feel like targets”: Clarendon business circle wary after murders: Gleaner
http://rjrnewsonline.com/local/farm-supervisor-gunned-down-in-st-thomas Farm supervisor gunned down in St. Thomas: RJR News
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/A-dark-night-of-the-soul_14082950 ”A dark night of the soul”: Full text of Minister Bunting’s remarks: Jamaica Observer
http://rjrnewsonline.com/local/bunting-reaffirms-his-commitment-to-crime-fighting Bunting reaffirms his commitment to crime fighting: RJR News
http://lowrie-chin.blogspot.com/2013/04/un-must-act-now-for-safer-world.html UN must act now for safer world: lowrie-chin.blogspot.com
http://go-jamaica.com/news/read_article.php?id=44105 Swap the Peters: Gleaner/Power 106 FM
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Clampdown-_14068063 Over 20 government employees arrested in motor vehicle license racket: Jamaica Observer
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Bunting-faces-contempt-of-court-action_14053699 Bunting faces contempt of court action: Jamaica Observer
http://jamaica-star.com/thestar/20130415/news/news8.html Jamaicans held for allegedly trafficking ganja: Jamaica Star
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/JLP-dismay-_14069932 JLP dismay! Party officials unhappy with latest Holness move: Jamaica Observer
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130416/lead/lead7.html Shaw upset at being left out of party meeting: Gleaner
http://rjrnewsonline.com/local/bureau-of-standards-defends-decision-to-withhold-names-of-tissue-brands Bureau of Standards defends decision to withhold names of tissue brands: RJR News
http://cucumberjuice.wordpress.com/2013/04/16/toilet-paper-governance/ Toilet paper governance: cucumberjuice.wordpress.com
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130417/lead/lead7.html ”Women can take tissue issue to court”: Gleaner
http://www.jis.gov.jm/news/leads/33583 Statement from Ministry of Health on contaminated tissue: Jamaica Information Service
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130416/cleisure/cleisure5.html NAJ President has a sick sense of logic: Letter to the Editor from a General Practitioner: Gleaner
http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/poverty-matters/2013/apr/16/jamaica-decades-debt-damaging-future Jamaica’s decades of debt are damaging its future: Guardian UK blog
http://digjamaica.com/blog/2013/04/15/further-slippage-bauxite-alumina-industry/ Further slippage: bauxite and alumina industry: diGJamaica.com
http://digjamaica.com/blog/2013/04/17/3688/ Inflation for March soars: diGJamaica.com
http://www.jis.gov.jm/news/leads/33580 International investors very keen on logistics hub initiative: Jamaica Information Service
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130417/business/business1.html Demystifying the logistics hub: Gleaner
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130417/ent/ent1.html Unlikely stars: Jamaicans become hugely popular on YouTube: Gleaner (re: fellow blogger/vlogger Carla Moore)
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130416/lead/lead3.html ”We want no condoms in schools”: JTA President says distribution would be unethical, illegal: Gleaner
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Gov-t-optimistic-about-new-funding-for-HIV-programmes_14083660 Government optimistic about new funding for HIV programs: Jamaica Observer
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130415/news/news5.html 18 children benefit from heart surgery: Gleaner
http://www.jis.gov.jm/news/leads-100/33570 Help for boys of Goodwin Park Hostel: Jamaica Information Service
Minister of National Security Peter Bunting (right) receiving an award for “Outstanding contribution to nation-building, community development and the educational advancement of young people” from Senior Pastor Michael Harvey of the Seventh-day Adventist Church at Northern Caribbean University (NCU). Occasion was the 13th Annual Prayer and thanksgiving service for the Security Forces of Jamaica held at the NCU Gymnatorium in Mandeville on April 13, 2013.
Who is building Richard Azan’s home ? (commonsenseja.wordpress.com)
Onlookers gather after the shooting death of a businessman involved in the fishing industry in downtown Kingston this week. (Photo: Norman Grindley/Jamaica Star)
Jamaican businesswoman Thalia Lyn with her American Friends of Jamaica Humanitarian Award. (Photo: Twitter)
