PRIME Minister Bruce Golding last night said that public perception over his role in the Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke extradition saga, as well as his belief that it was time for a new crop of leaders to guide the country, “in sync with 21st-century realities”, were among the factors that influenced his decision to step down next month.

Golding, in his highly anticipated national broadcast, appeared to be sending a signal to his ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) that it should look more favourably at the younger candidates who are already lining up to contest for the post of party leader at the JLP’s annual conference in November.

Approximately 5,000 labour party delegates are expected to vote on November 19 for a new leader who, in all likelihood, will be appointed Jamaica’s ninth prime minister.

Although no one has, as yet, formally declared a candidacy, Education Minister Andrew Holness; Finance Minister Audley Shaw; Transport and Works Minister Mike Henry; Industry, Investment and Commerce Minister Dr Christopher Tufton; Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister Dr Ken Baugh; and Agriculture Minister Robert Montaque have been fingered by political analysts and party insiders as among the contenders.

Of the lot, Tufton, Holness and Montaque are below age 50. Shaw is 59 years old, Baugh is 70, while Henry is 76.

In his address last night, Golding pointed out that he will be 64 years old in another two months. He said that he felt it was time for him and people like him to make way and allow a new crop of leaders to step forward and unleash their energies and creativity.

He said that there are young people in his party, as well as the Opposition People’s National Party, who are capable of providing the leadership that the country requires at this time.

“We must not, for the sake of personal ambition, block their emergence,” he said. “My advice and counsel will always be available if and when required.

“It is time for my generation to make way for younger people whose time has come, who are more in sync with 21st-century realities, whose vision can have a longer scope and who can bring new energy to the enormous tasks that confront us. The leaders of major countries around the world — for example, the United States, Britain, Canada, Mexico, Spain, The Netherlands, Finland, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Australia, and New Zealand — are all more than 10 years younger than I am. It is a worldwide trend, and we in Jamaica should not resist it,” Golding added.

Golding also said that questions about the role he played in Jamaica’s response to the United States’ extradition request for Coke and the retaining of the American law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips to help lobby Washington in relation to the request, have remained a source of concern in the minds of many people.

During the nine months since the request was submitted and Coke was captured and eventually extradited after a deadly firefight between gunmen and the security forces, Kingston had argued that the wiretap evidence submitted by Washington against Coke breached Jamaica’s Interception of Communications Act.

Last night, Golding said that the position his administration held during the stand-off had nothing to do with whether Coke was guilty or innocent.

“It was about a breach of our Constitution, and had it been a person other than Coke it perhaps would never have become the cause célèbre that it turned out to be,” he said in reference to the fact that Coke, who lived in Tivoli Gardens in Golding’s West Kingston constituency, was regarded as an enforcer.

“We have since amended the Interception of Communications Act to permit in the future the action that was taken in Coke’s case but which, at that time, was in violation of our Constitution,” Golding said.

“However, the entire episode has affected me deeply, and the perceptions that are held by some people have not been dispelled, notwithstanding the exhaustive deliberations of a Commission of Enquiry,” he added.

“I cannot allow the challenges we face and the issues that we as a people must confront to be smothered or overpowered by this saga and the emotions that they ignite. It would not be fair to my country; it would not be fair to my party,” said the prime minister.

Addressing criticism that he displayed bad timing in the announcement of his decision to step down, given that he was preparing to bury his mother, Golding said that he had to work within the limits of the party’s constitution.

“The annual general conference of the JLP is scheduled to be held on November 19 and 20. As stipulated in the party’s constitution, the deadline for nominations is October 19,” he said. “Sufficient time, therefore, had to be allowed for potential candidates to consider offering themselves and meet the October 19 nomination deadline. Sufficient time had to be allowed, as well, for the delegates to contemplate their choices since they would not have been anticipating that a vacancy would arise. But it was important not to have too long a period of uncertainty regarding the leadership and direction of the Government.”

He also said that the JLP’s Central Executive was having its last quarterly meeting on September 25 before the annual general conference, therefore he had no choice but to make his decision known at that time.

He said that he told the Central Executive that the election of the new leader must be conducted in a mature, transparent and dignified manner, especially because the party formed the Government.

He also said that in the past few days, he has been in contact with Jamaica’s major international partners and has assured them that the direction of the Government is firmly in place and that the transition will be smooth and seamless.

“The financial markets remain sober while they await the appointment of a new prime minister and confirmation that we will not deviate from the economic reforms on which we have embarked,” he said. “In my remaining few weeks, I will continue to work as hard as I have ever done and hand over the reins of office gracefully to my successor.”

The prime minister said that he has been working on average 16-18-hour days over the past four years in navigating the country out of the “treacherous waters” of the global recession. “We are beginning to see positive results: far-reaching macroeconomic reforms have been implemented; the economy has returned to a growth path, modest though it is; we are once again creating new jobs even though we have not yet restored the jobs that were lost; the rise in poverty has been cauterised,” he said.

However, he cautioned that while the worst may have passed there are challenges that remain on many fronts that will require strong leadership and absolute confidence in the authority of that leadership.

“This is not a time to be fearful or bewildered. It is a time for renewed hope and renewed effort,” Golding said.