DESPITE strong criticisms being levelled against him amid his political ambitions, due to his two drug-related convictions, Isat Buchanan — the People’s National Party’s (PNP’s) standard-bearer for Portland Eastern — says he is leaving everything up to God and time, and describes his detractors as his “fans”.

Chief among the critics is the ruling Jamaica Labour Party which last week criticised the PNP following the Opposition party’s decision to name Buchanan as its candidate who will be contesting the seat in the next general election.

In an exclusive interview with the Jamaica Observer on Saturday, Buchanan, who is an attorney-at-law, said he is “fully aware that the Jamaica Labour Party does not believe in rehabilitation”.

“I have heard them and seen the things that they have said but I am respectfully leaving it to God and time. They are the same people who said I won’t win and I am not a good lawyer,” said Buchanan who led the legal team that had the murder conviction of dancehall entertainer Adidja “Vybz Kartel” Palmer and his then three co-accused quashed by the Privy Council in the United Kingdom.

Palmer and two of the others were subsequently released from prison in August — after almost 13 years behind bars — when the Court of Appeal in Jamaica ruled against a retrial in the matter.

In condemning the move to name Buchanan to the PNP’s slate of candidates, the JLP said the party has no moral authority to speak on matters concerning corruption, crime or ethics.

The JLP cited in its press release that Buchanan has served time in Jamaican prison for possession of, dealing in, and taking steps to smuggle cocaine, and that he spent approximately 10 years in a US prison for similar drug-smuggling crimes involving cocaine.

“While we believe in possible rehabilitation and redemption, Mr Buchanan’s recent crude, misogynistic, and lewd remarks directed at a senior female public servant, and his description of some Jamaicans as ugly and resembling monkeys, confirm [that] his penchant for unbecoming conduct is not a thing of the past,” the JLP said.

The PNP, in its own press release, hit back at the governing JLP a day later.

The party acknowledged that individuals can be rehabilitated and return to serve their communities.

“Isat Buchanan’s past does not define him; rather, his commitment to positive change exemplifies the principles of redemption that the PNP advocates. This position is consistent with the party’s long-standing belief that everyone should have the opportunity to reintegrate into society and contribute meaningfully,” the PNP said.

Even as the debate on the topic intensifies, Buchanan told the Sunday Observer that he is unbothered by the negative talk.

“They have tried to inject negativity into my life. I think they are my fans, and I love all my fans. They can continue to speak about me because, I promise you, I love them regardless. When they do get the opportunity to meet me, I know that their opinions will change. I am so used to it that I have nothing bad to say.

“I believe that the public discourse is in keeping with freedom of expression, even as foul and degrading as some of the comments are. I am okay with it. I won’t be suing anybody, nor will I be exercising my right under the Expungment Act to complain to the Jamaica Constabulary Force about the criminal act.

“They have broken the law by making reference to my juvenile conviction and the contents thereof, because my record is expunged. Rather than getting into negativity, I just hope that for other persons, they don’t do that because they might not be so kind. I am not in the business of turning ordinary citizens into criminals — that’s the work of the Jamaica Labour Party,” Buchanan said.

According to the PNP candidate, the JLP is making much ado about nothing, and his mission in Portland Eastern will be to improve people’s lives.

“I think the issue is a little bit much more nuanced. I read the article and I don’t see them saying I am not qualified — I am more qualified than almost all of them. I don’t see them saying that I don’t have the capacity — I am one of few persons who have been honoured to speak before the highest court of the land, that’s the Privy Council, and I won the case there. I have challenged the Government in more than five cases when it comes to matters of the constitution and they have always lost.

“I think the issue is more about my legal capacity and the continued drive by that party to have me not be a practising attorney, to disenfranchise poor people. Poor people are majority of my clients. I have never challenged freedom of expression in any form, and I have seen the low-class type of comments coming from that camp. They are free to express themselves so I am not interfering with them, because at the end of the day I am there to uplift people’s lives, free people where necessary, and enrich the lives of the people of Portland.

“I don’t see anybody of Portland Eastern that’s making the comments. None of the people commenting are voters so, respectfully, I wish them well. They have introduced me to the politics they are used to and I am not going to participate in it,” Buchanan said.

Human Rights advocate Maria Carla Gullotta made it clear on Saturday that she wished to stay far from the political nature of the conversation, but expressed that people must be allowed to reintegrate after they rehabilitate.

She told the Sunday Observer it is seldom that people reoffend after they are properly rehabilitated and reintegrate into society.

As far as she is aware, reintegration is one way to fight against crime. She called on the Government to lead by example by demonstrating that it is serious about rehabilitation.

Gullotta pointed to the fact that the policy exists where people who have a conviction but have been properly rehabilitated still cannot land a job in government. Quite frankly, she suggested that an end be put to that policy.

“Rehabilitation functions if it is linked to integration. There might be an inmate who, during his serving years, goes to school and achieves five Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate subjects, gets a diploma from HEART[/NSTA Trust], and learns how to be a computer technician. Once he is leaving the institution and goes back to society his expectation is to use what he learned as an instrument for reintegration.

“If we do not give him a second chance does rehabilitation make sense? In our last press release we discussed the topic of why, if people are being rehabilitated, why are government agencies not allowed to employ them. The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of National Security promotes restorative justice, the new minister of national security also has spoken loud and clear in favour of rehabilitation, so why do they not give them the possibility of getting a job?

“Rehabilitation and reintegration has to be linked. I strongly believe that if somebody has made all efforts in making a change in his or her life, we should give them an opportunity. There is an appeal to change the politics that is not allowing any of the agencies of the government to employ them,” Gullotta said.