KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Prime Minister Bruce Golding is to put forward his case to the Jamaican public tonight amid mounting calls for him to step down over the controversy arising from the United States request for his government to extradite a national wanted on drugs and gun related charges.

The calls for the prime minister’s resignation followed his admission in Parliament last week that he knew of attempts by a US-based law firm to lobby the United States government to drop its request to extradite  Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke, a prominent ruling party supporter, on the alleged criminal charges. If convicted, Coke faces a term of life imprisonment.

The Golding administration has in the past defended its decision not to extradite Coke, stating that it would not act hastily and violate the extradition treaty between the two countries.

Over the weekend, the hierarchy of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) met to discuss the issue and according to the party’s general secretary, Karl Samuda, “the members have expressed themselves fully and they have unanimously committed themselves to support our leader and they have sought to convince him that the proper thing to do is remain as JLP Leader and Prime Minister.

“We in the party are satisfied that the allegations against him do not rise nearly to the level that would necessitate him resigning as leader of the party or as prime minister of the country. We feel very strongly that having reviewed all the details and the statements made, and the facts available to us, that the prime minister did not lie to the people of Jamaica,” he added.

A statement issued late yesterday night by the Office of the Prime Minister said he has been holding consultations with several interest groups.

“The Prime Minister has been meeting with the JLP’s executive bodies, parliamentarians, religious groups as well as representatives of the Partnership for Transformation,” said Information Minister Daryl Vaz.

But the main opposition People’s National Party (PNP) has described as “outrageous” that the JLP and the Prime Minister did nothing wrong when the approach was made to the US-law firm, Manatt, Phelps and Phillips, to lobby Washington on the matter.

“First we deplore the contentious attitude of him and the kind of contempt shown by the Jamaica Labour Party officials to the Jamaican people and I just want to indicate that the People’s National Party will not allow this matter to go unchallenged and we are going to keep this issue alive until the Prime Minister does the honourable thing,” PNP leader Portia Simpson Miller said.

Simpson Miller also warned the PNP’s National Executive Council (NEC) that they should not use the problems confronting the JLP to celebrate.

“Whatever the outcome of this situation, I make an appeal to Comrades, lets us not gloat and let us not be uncharitable,” she said, adding that the party is committed to building a better Jamaica.

“We need your physical presence and brain power to build our party and ultimately our nation … there’s a lot to be done and you can help” she said.

While the opposition party has not indicated what its next step will be, there are indications that the PNP could move a motion of no confidence in the government as early as Tuesday when Parliament meets.

“I would certainly hope that the JLP parliamentarians would begin to vote their conscience. I know that for a fact as has been expressed in newspaper articles, that there are those among them who are inclined to recognise the great and national interest that is at stake here,” said PNP Chairman Peter Phillips, who first brought the issue to the public domain.

“I would be calling on them to do the right thing as we’re calling on the Prime Minister to do the right thing,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the human rights group, Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ), Carolyn Gomes, said she is surprised at the position adopted by the ruling party with regards to the issue.

“I’m gob-smacked, completely lost for words … I am feeling like I’ve been kicked for a second time this week. The arrogance … I don’t understand how that arrogance can stand; I don’t understand what universe people are living in that they do not understand what has happened.

“The repairing needs to begin with an acknowledgement of the wrong … I don’t think they have been hearing a single word that has been said,” she said.

The Jamaica Chamber of Commerce (JCC) said it too was disappointed at the position of the governing party.

“Holding onto this technicality as to whether there was a lie in relation to the specific question insults the intelligence of the Jamaican people. The press conference showed that the Labour Party has lost touch with how the people of this country feel,” said JCC president Milton Samuda.

“There was a lot of hope invested in Bruce Golding, and that’s why the profound feeling that underlies everything is a feeling of disappointment and (for the JLP) to fail to recognize that and to address it and I find it not only disappointing but deeply disturbing for them to fail to show any sign of contrition at all,” said Samuda.

The National Democratic Party (NDP) that was founded by Golding in 1995 has called an emergency meeting for Monday to discuss the response of the prime minister for him to step down.

“We will be calling a meeting and I will be putting to the executive that we should call on the PSOJ, (the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica), the Chamber of Commerce and all other big donors to the Jamaica Labour Party to cease donating funds to the party” said NDM General secretary, Michael Williams.