Dear Editor,

The People’s National Party has taken notice of a series of newspaper reports and cartoons that seem to be meant to explicitly and subliminally link the PNP with criminal activities and alleged persons of interest to the Jamaica Constabulary Force. The party rejects these aspersions as part of a sensational, irresponsible and mischievous campaign designed to deliberately connect the PNP with illicit activity.

The effort to connect Opposition Leader Mrs Portia Simpson Miller to crime and violence and to discredit other members of the party is seen in one unfortunate cartoon published on June 4, 2010, which presents the party president as feeding the crime “mongrel”. Given Mrs Simpson Miller’s strong anti-crime stance, the absence of any linkage between her and criminal activities and her invitation for dialogue on “garrison communities” to determine the characteristics of such communities, this representation in the daily newspapers in this matter, at this time, is suspect.

The party acknowledges that the Jamaican political system has had a questionable association with such activities. It is with that in mind that Party President Portia Simpson Miller has been leading a process of renewal to address the issue of standards and a strengthened moral fabric of its operations and policies. This includes the development of a mix of policies based on the principles of participation, accountability and responsibility. Additionally, the PNP has been examining the issue of internal responsibility and integrity. One move in that direction is the establishment of the Integrity Commission, which has already begun its work.

The PNP recognises this as nothing more than a campaign designed to remove attention from the obvious connections between the current administration and criminality and calls on the media not to be swayed by this effort. The PNP decries this attempt by the media to unfairly malign the party and its leader, and urges them to be reminded of their roles as the conscience of the nation. Fairness, balance, objectivity and transparency are important tenets to which the PNP holds itself. It is hoped that the media will all also continue to observe those traditions which their journalistic codes speak to, as all well-thinking Jamaicans seek to examine our own roles in fighting the monster of crime.

Robert Pickersgill

Chairman, PNP

Kingston

pnppresssecretariat@gmail.com