KINGSTON, Jamaica-The ruling Jamaica Labour Party says the People’s National Party (PNP’s) response to allegations made by former PNP caretaker for Kingston Central Lawrence Rowe of the party offering him $15 million, a Senate seat and a board position in exchange for his withdrawal as party caretaker in the constituency, is unacceptable and an insult to the people of Jamaica.

The PNP in a statement has since denied the allegations made by Rowe describing them as “spurious allegations relating to monetary offers being circulated by a former candidate, sections of the media, and the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).”

According to the JLP, Rowe in a radio interview on Tuesday, rejected a denial by the PNP of his allegation concerning the monetary offer and stated that he has evidence to support his startling revelation.

It noted that the former PNP caretaker has also revealed that the PNP had pledged to him resources from the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) in their bid to win the Kingston Central seat and said PNP General Secretary, Dr Dayton Campbell, had affirmed to him the party’s intention to use KSAMC resources to win the seat on behalf of the PNP.

Rowe also reportedly revealed that in seeking to determine the future of the seat, the PNP had consulted “a former don”.

Senior member of the JLP Communications Taskforce Marlon Morgan says “The response from the PNP to the Lawrence Rowe/PNP Hush Money Scandal is unacceptable and an insult to the people of Jamaica. For the PNP, which is now clearly desperate for political power, to take such a dismissive approach to serious issues of corruption and bad governance practices shows their contempt for the people of Jamaica.”

Morgan noted that the PNP leadership, which includes Mark Golding, Dayton Campbell and Peter Bunting, should come clean with the Jamaican people concerning several issues and respond explicitly to the following:

“1. Did it at any time offer Lawrence Rowe a multimillion- dollar offer, a board appointment and a senate seat to abandon his interest in being the party’s representative in Central Kingston?

2. Does it accept that it is corrupt and inappropriate to negotiate silence/cooperation via the promise of a senate seat, a board appointment and monetary inducements?

3. What is the basis upon which it reportedly consulted a former don in seeking to determine the way forward for the Kingston Central constituency?

4. Did it lie to the Jamaican people when it described as spurious (false) Lawrence Rowe’s revelation concerning the offer which he says was made to him ?”

Morgan says following Rowe’s damning revelations it would be good if sections of civil society break their silence and recognise their role in holding the PNP accountable for what at minimum appears to be the PNP’s corrupt and vulgar approach to the Kingston Central candidate selection process and the issue of senate/board appointments along with plans for the deployment of state resources.