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PM defeats no-confidence motion

BY ALICIA DUNKLEY Observer staff reporter dunkleya@jamaicaobserver.com

Wednesday, June 02, 2010

THE Government last night defeated a no-confidence motion tabled in the House by the parliamentary Opposition against Prime Minister Bruce Golding.

The motion was defeated 30-28, even without the vote of House Speaker Delroy Chuck and that of Shahine Robinson, who learnt earlier in the day that her North East St Ann seat was declared vacant Monday by the Supreme Court in a default judgement.

Robinson had been the subject of an election petition filed by the People's National Party's Manley Bowen that claimed she was a United States citizen at the time of her election in 2007.

Yesterday's motion, which denounced the prime minister's leadership based on his handling of the extradition matter involving former West Kingston don Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, had called for, among other things, the condemnation of Golding for suppressing the truth, that he be censured, and the rejection of his leadership as prime minister.

Opposition Leader Portia Simpson Miller categorised as "barefaced contempt", the prime minister's statements to Parliament on the issue.

"We have a devalued prime minister in a devalued nation. There is only one remedy. It must be met by the sanction of removal by a vote," she said.

Meanwhile, Opposition spokesman on national security Peter Bunting said the "long-running pantomime" and loss of lives last week in West Kingston could have been avoided if Golding and Justice Minister Dorothy Lightbourne had allowed the law to take its course.

He said the Government, by announcing its intention to sign the authorisation to proceed on the Coke extradition case, gave the then Tivoli Gardens don a "heads up", leading to barricades mounted at the entrances to Tivoli and the eventual gun battles between members of the security forces and thugs in the community.

He said the prime minister's "spin doctors were desperately trying to reinvent him, presenting him as the man to now lead the fight against crime".

Opposition member Dr Peter Phillips said every "contortion" was now being used to prevent Golding from paying the political price he said he'd gladly pay over his handling of the extradition matter.

Golding, in his response, said his directives for the matter to be kept separate from the Government were not adhered to. In apologising to the Parliament, he described as careless, arguments that he caused the deaths last week by indicating in a national broadcast that an arrest warrant for Coke was on the way.

According to Golding, each time the security forces went into the community unannounced it resulted in the deaths of women and children.

This time, he said, no children were killed.

Following the vote, there were loud cheers from the Government benches.

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COMMENTS (26)

Denise Whyte
6/2/2010

anthony ii i agree with u and the others who has some sense. PNP is having a fit because they have lost the general election. they are hungry and never know that times would be hard when they were living beyond their means using taxpayers money as if it was their own. now they are planning all sorts of quo to overthrow the government. Bruce is still the head of the Government whether they or anyone like it or not. next election i will b voting for the first time in my life for bruce Golding

Michael Blackman
6/2/2010

Perhaps now that there is a by-election in the air, the political pollsters can use that as the basis to determine government support on this and many other issues. This government if it hasn't already need a wake up call and politicians at least know how to read polls. Nothing like seeing or hearing, I would vote for the party but not if Golding leading it, or x and y would have to go before I vote for the JLP/PNP again... then suddenly, your MP gets an independent opinion.

Dwight Barnes
6/2/2010

I laud the opposition for moving this vote of no confidence despite the inevitable based on the seat allocations. However, I am in a a quandray as to why only one member from the government side rose in the PM's defence. Is this indicative of something that we need to know? Why were Vaz, Holness, Samuda, Baugh,et al all silent?

renrick hall
6/2/2010

since they all stood by the PM in the extradition blunder then they will do so now. it is all party lines that they voted on. no one on Goldings side would have voted against him; and the corollery is true for the PNP - the party comes first.

Veronica Forbes
6/2/2010

It would be interesting to find out the number of persons who voted for him in the 2007 general elections and are no longer confident in his leadership versus the number of persons who voted against him and remain so. This would provide a better understanding of where he stands with the people.

renaldo whyte
6/2/2010

nothing that comes out of Bruce Golding mouth is believable... i watched him in parliment and even in his apology i looked at a man who i could not believe anything he was saying.. am i the only one with this view? as it relates to the motion.. no surprise.. the no confidendence motion was just for show and tell.. they voted along party lines... im sure that some persons on the government side did not vote as the people of their consituencies would of wanted them to! they're all a bunch of jokes

Michael Blackman
6/2/2010

Since much of this discussion is really started from a US action, lets try to take a leaf out of their book when it comes to voting based on your convictions. President Obama on health care, DADT, Iraq, etc. can't get every Democrat to vote for his legislation. Why? because they consider the options based on how it affects their constituency, their supporters and public opinion. The JLP parliamentarians as they did two weeks ago and today voted party over country. What more do we expect!

David Campbell
6/2/2010

If Dudus was captured and handed over the relevant authorities he would have left his drug/gang organization in place, another gangster would step in his place and Jamaica would still be under sieged by badmen.
The PM did make a mistake in not handing him over earlier but I am happy that it worked out that way because the police had the right pretext to break up these gangs run by lazy lawless men armed with big guns and living off extortion
The PM has redeemed himself, Bruce you have my vote.

Droula Don
6/2/2010

The no confidence motion would not go in favor of the PNP as the JLP has a slim majority in the HOR and as a result the motion was defeated 30-28. I believe I speak for most JA people when i say that we have lost confidence in the PM despite what he is doing now. It does not undo what he has done to the country over the last nine months. He still needs to resign ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Peter Lawrence
6/2/2010

Why LOUD cheers from the govt side? If they had any true realisation of the mess they have made of the whole Dudus affair , a subdued, childish, knocking on the desk would at least have told us that they were aware. I would vote "no confidence" for the opposition too. Rudderless, no leadership; Portia is just BEGINNING to hold her own in Parliament. I BET if the PM had resigned she would have rushed across and hugged and kissed him. To his credit I feel Golding Hates those female outbursts.

Gee Whiz
6/2/2010

The house may have voted, but the Jcan ppl have also casted their vote, including the Republic of Tivoli. Bruce MUST GO. He has no remorse. I am first a Jamaican & not going along any particular party lines. Ppl were worried about Portia's educational background as a leader of the country. Bruce in all his eloquence did worse than Portia with all the degrees associated with his name. How can this man represent us internationally & not be taken for a joke if he can't control his own constituency?

JA Cynic
6/2/2010

The no-confidence motion never stood a chance.
The main purpose was to let Hansard record the sordid details and so be a reference in the future.
Amazingly, no one in the Cabinet rose to the defence of the PM.
Is this a strategic move or an indication of things to come??
JA Cynic

xavier carrington
6/2/2010

It was expected that there would be a vote along party lines. A private vote would have perhaps seen a different result given the Observer Report suggesting that two Government Ministers thought that the PM should have resigned. It was shameful watching the government members who were heckling last night. Pickersgill was also disappointing. The extradition delay ... the possible harm to the economy! Ha! The PM just needs to resign. No trust is left. I now switch the channel when he speaks.

Veronica Forbes
6/2/2010

I am happy that Mr. Golding survived this vote of no confidence. There is a lot to do...a lot of good things have been done which are either told at the end of the 7:00 news or not at all. We have been buried by the need to regain power by the Opposition at the cost of dividing the nation. This cannot be good.

PL BOGLE
6/2/2010

I think we should have an amendment in our constitution to change the name opossition party to supporting party. We Jamaicans cannot afford to have an opposing party at this time we need every bit of support there is . SO IN THE FUTURE SUPPORTING PARTY.

Tom Sawers
6/2/2010

with all the reputituals last night the JLP survived tells me the opposition is ineffective and it is not looking good.

Wilfred Gray
6/2/2010

One question we have to asked; is our `sovereignty as a uindependent nation,secondary to any other agreement;
are we usa,colony?

LLOYD BLAIR
6/2/2010

We all know this vote would be along party line. But the public has already lost all confidence in him. The Prime Minister from the outset handled this whole matter poorly. He is the reason for this mayhem. He cannot now start acting like Mcgruff.
Regardless of pariliment's vote the public has no confidence in him

Norman Lee
6/2/2010

Bruce should tell the nation what he meant by "paying the political price" in standing up for his JLP strongman. When Bruce speaks, how must we know if he is JLP party leader or MP or PM speaking?
Bruce's egregious action in the Dudus affair has forfeited his presence in the house. Every time he speaks he lowers the office of PM and desecrates the house. Bruce and Dor must resign and allow respect to return to the office of PM and government. It is time to pay the piper....with interest.

Paul Lewis
6/2/2010

The clowns have voted for the Ringmaster....it shouldn't sursprise anyone. A vote of confidence should've been taken, then we would see if anyone in the house would have goten a single vote. The people of Jamaica has no confidence in either of the group of clowns... a sorrier bunch would be hard to find.

Niki Levy
6/2/2010

I am not a fan of either party and I must admit that Bruce shouldn't have gotten involved in what is clearly a judicial matter but I would challenge anyone who dares to hold him liable for the death of those people. The outcome would have been the same no matter who ordered the extradition. frankly, this is the most valiant attempt by ANY prime minister at solving our crime problem. We should be thanking him instead of criticizing. Its now up to the police to make sure they dont kill innocent pp

John Brown
6/2/2010

Bruce Golding has no shame! All this episode shows that he is just a common politician and not the kind of character that he made himself out to be in all his previous speeches, such as his inauguration speech. The whole episode shows that all his previous speeches were just hot air and those high ideals do not apply to him. I guess he can jump from one skin into another! What a joker the nation has for a leader! Bruce should preserve any ounce of dignity he has left by resigning! Just go!

Claude Ingram
6/2/2010

I am pleased the Government survived the no confidence vote as there is still much to do, and a general election now would be a costly distraction.

Anthony II
6/2/2010

I hope that the PNP will realize that it is the Opposition and that, despite all that has been going on, it needs to support the government in its current efforts. Much of the PNP's activities seem geared towards re-access to power. In times of national crises, those people that mean their country any good usually rally around the government, until such times that the crises have passed. To seek to profit from the current situation proves more that the country is not the PNP's concern but power.

Jay Brown
6/2/2010

No morals , d ole a dem !!!
Where are our constitutional lawyers, lets get together and reshape the constitution, civil society can no longer accept the crap we get "disguised"as leadership.
As a country with so many Rhodes Scholars called to the bar I fail to see how they have helped to improve the situation in Jamaica.
Probably we need a few people with commonsense that can enact commonsense laws that truly works,.

george watson
6/2/2010

"According to Golding, each time the security forces went into the community unannounced it resulted in the deaths of women and children."
But why is this so? Members of the security forces enter scores of communities each day. What makes Tivoli special? What makes it outside of the law?

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