KINGSTON, Jamaica – The youth arm of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), Young Jamaica says it finds comments by former Public Defender Earl Witter regarding the appointment of Matondo Mukulu to act in the capacity of Public Defender “unfortunate and deeply disappointing”.

The organisation stated in a release a short while ago that “we can detect no suitable justification for having denied Mr Mukulu appointment to the office.

“We are concerned that age/youthfulness is being used as a determining factor in appointments. We find this development tantamount to a determination of qualification on the basis of race, gender or socio-economic status. It is our view that once a candidate is otherwise qualified under the Act, age should not be used to retard their progress.”

Young Jamaica added that it finds Witter’s interference in the process to select the Public Defender irregular and highly unusual.

“The process may very well have been compromised by this letter, which no doubt influenced His Excellency and the House Speaker. We further question his motives for waging such a seemingly unprovoked attack on Mr Mukulu’s age. It is worth questioning whether envy for his significant and impactful progress as Acting Public Defender played any role in this unprecedented action on Mr Witter’s part,” the release said.