Civic groups protest 'closed-door' peace talks A SMALL group of about 30 protesters from several civic organisations took to the sidewalk outside Vale Royal in a peaceful protest yesterday to voice opposition to the "closed-door peace talks" between leaders of the island's two main political parties. As the leaders of the Peoples National Party and Jamaica Labour Party met at the Prime Minister's official residence, with business leaders as mediators, the protesters questioned why they could not be allowed to hear the discussions. "It's our country. It's our future. It's nothing secret," said Susan Goffe, a member of Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ). The demonstrators including Carolyn Gomes, JFJ chairperson; Richard Small, attorney-at-law and Carole Narcisse, women's rights activist, staged a mostly quiet protest before the peace talks began at 9:30 a.m., until it ended just after midday. Bearing placards with messages such as, "Time for the democratic process to start", and "PJ and Eddie, give us vision lest we perish", the group rallied support from passing motorists who honked their car horns in apparent approval of the protest. "It was a little bit of a last minute thing because of a late decision on the leadership as to when they were going to meet and where and what time. So it was a little difficult to rally mass support," said Dr. Gomes as she held up her placard encouraging the motorists to honk their car horns. The group of protesters who had gathered about 100 metres away from the iron gates of the Vale Royal property, explained that they had sent letters outlining a list of demands to the political heads concerning the peace talks, the Commission of Enquiry into the West Kingston shootings last month, and the implementation of the recommendations of the Kerr, Wolfe and Moses reports, but said they had got no response. The group got riled up after the meeting ended when Ed Bartlett, Opposition spokesperson for tourism attempted to greet the protesters. "These behind closed-door meetings cannot serve us any more. You can get the hug you want if you tell me that you have accepted that we are in a crisis. You have accepted your role in it because I have accepted mine!" Dr. Gomes shouted at Mr. Bartlett. "We all have accepted our roles but all of us have a responsibility to heal the wounds and to bring back the society and to reconcile the problems that we have," he responded. "Which role have you accepted?" shouted Richard Small before Mr. Bartlett interrupted in an attempt to calm him down. The exchanges fizzled soon after. Despite further questions shouted at the meeting's participants on accountability, the protesting group got very few answers as the political heads sped off in their vehicles. -
|
