Dear Editor,

I would have liked to pat the PNP on the back for the newly established Integrity Commission, but I will not. Reason being that the findings of the commission will not be made public. Neither will the findings have any bearing on the final decision by the party to keep or boot the candidate. To this end I ask, what is the point of the commission?

It seems to me the entity is exactly what the leader of the PNP, Portia Simpson Miller, assures it is not, that is, “a publicity stunt and a baseless activity”. The commission has no teeth or even the power to give a slap on the wrist to any candidate. It is my understanding that if a candidate is deemed to be unfit to hold public office for whatever reason, the commission will investigate and recommend, but that’s where the buck stops.

According to Simpson Miller in her speech at the launch of the Integrity Commission, “These transformational processes will be implemented to ensure that the PNP provides quality leadership and governance for the people of Jamaica.” I ask of Simpson Miller to explain how this will be done when the public will not be privy to the information gathered by investigations done by the commission and the findings will not “be the final arbiter in deciding who is selected”.

Elizabeth Russell

Kingston 6

lizzi.russell@gmail.com