KINGSTON, Jamaica – Opposition Spokesman on Housing and Sustainable Living, Senator Dr Floyd Morris, has blasted Prime Minister Andrew Holness over his decision to bulldoze several unfinished houses that were being constructed illegally on Government-owned lands near the Clifton community in the Greater Bernard Lodge development.

The prime minister has both been lauded and chastised for the decision which saw the buildings knocked down on October 6. He told the House of Representatives a day earlier that the land, which was reserved for agriculture, was captured and sold by persons affiliated with the notorious Clansman gang. He said such action posed a threat to national security.

Morris weighed in on the matter on Friday during his contribution to the State of the Nation Debate in the Senate.

In zeroing in on the issue, Morris sought to frame it against the background of slavery. He argued that “the issue of landlessness and lack of shelter has affected our citizens ever since the abolition of slavery in 1838”.

“Therefore, I am outraged and disgusted by the prime minister’s instructions to bulldoze the houses of those individuals who were scammed into purchasing Crown lands in Clifton. I am also annoyed by the notices given to citizens in Pleasant Hill, St. Catherine, to vacate lands that they have occupied and call home for over 70 years,” Morris declared.

He added that: “We are not a banana republic, and we are governed by the rule of law. If individuals capture and build on government lands, there is a process that must be followed to reclaim the lands. This involves an investigatory process and a mechanism to catch the criminals who are involved”.

Morris argued that section 3(h) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms (2011) gives every citizen the right to equitable and humane treatment and the right to due process as provided for in section 16.

“Nowhere in the Constitution does it give the prime minister and the Executive, the right to be judge, jury and executioner. You cannot enforce the law by breaking the law. And what is most egregious is when it is the prime minister who the law gives no ‘locus’ in the instant matter, leading the charge,” Morris said.

He told the Upper House that despite his disappointment, “I am not surprised by the actions of the prime minister as he has been consistent in tinkering with the very Constitution he swears to uphold and protect”.

Morris then reminded that “We have seen it in the matter of undated letters that were signed by senators, some of whom are present here today. We have seen it in the NIDS (National Identification and Registration System) legislation that his administration brought to the Parliament in 2017. And we have seen it in the consistent use of States of Emergency as a crime-fighting initiative that trampled on the rights of some citizens”.

According to Morris, “These actions by government do not inspire confidence in the political process. Our citizens have become cynical of us as leaders and the entire system of government. They see us as only enforcing the rules for expediency”.

To change this perception, Morris said there must be a concerted effort to build an accessible and inclusive society in which all citizens can feel as if they are first class citizens.