“OH, what a tangled web we weave!” The Daily Observer of Wednesday, March 3 in its headline claims “PM Stares Down US”, and the Gleaner headline of the same day says “Dudus defence”. The situation has started to get out of hand and several innuendos have been made, although no one has directly pointed any fingers. The usual lawyers, both locally and overseas, have weighed in on the matter on the talk shows, and as predicted they have not been precise in their comments. On one hand they say ‘this’, and on the other hand they say ‘that’. That has been my concern with lawyers in government; they argue like hell, but fail to take decisive positions or actions.

The case for clarity therefore comes to the forefront once again. If the Government had got any sound advice about how to handle the media from the outset, they would not be in this invidious position. It is clear that the prime minister needs to figure out very carefully the correct way to deal with major events and crises.

As his parents would have taught him, honesty is the best policy. If at the outset of the extradition issue his legal advisors had said to him, “These are the facts surrounding acceptability of evidence in matters related to the extradition treaty,” then the matter would have been settled. At this time, it would be purely academic as to whether the Government of Jamaica’s stance with regard to the collection of evidence, as well as its legality, is to be considered under the treaty.

If the Government is within its rights to review evidence, then the last six months of speculation would not have been necessary. Then again, all the persons who fancy themselves as “spin doctors” would be out of a job. The matter would have been clearly handled by the prime minister with support from Minister Daryl Vaz, and all rumour mills could have been stopped in their tracks. This is where the situation should have ended, that is, with clarity.

The element of corruption in Government as stated by the supreme spin doctors, the United States, would also have been resisted. As it is now, any defence under the rights of citizens within the extradition treaty has been reduced to a discussion of the levels of corruption within the Government by their dealings with a single individual. The entire ruling party has now been placed under a cloak of suspicion, which will again cause the rumour mills to churn. Already it is being said that the visas of prominent Jamaicans are being cancelled as an act of “revenge” by the government of the United States.

I have no doubt that in other circumstances the USA has taken action based on rumours, but we are such small fish that we should not attribute it to revenge. Let’s face it, we are no bin Laden, neither do we possess any “weapons of mass destruction”. We can hardly manage our own criminals, let alone a war. So in the final analysis, our lack of clarity has led to the accusations of vast corruption in the Government.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, the PNP MPs are basking in the warm embrace of a political opportunity. The many erudite and statesman-like pronouncements belie the fact that during their various terms in office, they have also been guilty of a lack of clarity and have been threatened with censure. Before we start to believe that the current government is the only one that has been accused by the US Government, let us not forget similar debacles such as The Shiprider Treaty, “Green Bay”, “Hunting Boolets”, and the invasion of “Tivaaali”. Perhaps someone could refresh the memories of those too young or too old to remember those episodes, and compare the levels of the “spin doctoring” in all instances.

The events have opened us up to the realities of censure by the United States Government. The annual reports to Congress are a requirement which I believe started in earnest following the attack on the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001. Under their concept of “sovereignty” they are able to take a wide range of punitive actions on what they believe to be non-compliant with their policies. These measures range from a slap on the wrist, prohibition of airlines accessing their airspace or ships sailing in their territorial waters, trade sanctions, breaking of diplomatic relations, to perhaps even a declaration of war.

We have been so inept in handling some of these difficult issues encapsulated in treaties that we may have unwittingly set ourselves up for a beating. I am not certain that we deserve a beating, but the respective courts need to resolve this issue quickly. I can, however, personally attest to the fact that a beating given rightly or wrongly is just as hot, and I have received both during my school days.

Dr Wykeham McNeil has called for at least some censure of Tourism Minister Ed Bartlett. Why stop there? Is there any reason why he should not have demanded his resignation or dismissal? Perhaps the answer lies in what is good for the goose and the gander. Realising that they will have another turn at bat, they are reluctant to play the LBW rule, lest they find themselves in the line of the wicket in the future. So the game continues with blustering, but with no intention of action, other than some airtime to perfect the art of spin bowling, oops, I meant spin doctoring.

Our prime minister is not a man schooled or versed in the art of lying, and whenever he is advised to do or say something, he must exert his personal ethics at all times. Trust the people. Jamaicans may be poorly educated, but are smart enough to accept the truth. If our prime minister is hoping to have a second term he must draw on his strengths. Those strengths are truth, and an ability to deliver the truth in a convincing manner. He must do something different as he had expressed through his ideals when forming the NDM. He is not suited as a person who can perpetuate the lying and hiding which has been a centrepiece of “old-style politics”, and he certainly doesn’t have as many lawyers in his fold as the PNP.

Transparency, honesty and the avoidance of punishment need to be the primary purpose of any government that expects to represent the people of Jamaica with dignity. If you lose your seat of power by being honest, consider that your name will be long remembered after the common criminals have left the scene . The duty of a prime minister is to the people, not the party.