By Garwin Davis, Assistant News EditorTHE COUNTRY is faced with probably its worst economic crisis ever, the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) said yesterday, and it has formulated a strategy that will force the government into a change of direction.
Speaking to reporters yesterday at the wrapping-up session of the party's two-day retreat at Dragon Bay Hotel, near Port Antonio, east Portland, Bruce Golding, the JLP chairman, said the time for co-operating with the government of the People's National Party had long passed and nothing short of a change of direction for the country would suffice.
"Today we focused entirely on the state of the economy, the Government's failure to address this very serious situation and also the implications for the country," Mr. Golding said.
"We have developed a strategy, one that I cannot get into the details of right now, as we will be taking it to Standing Com-mittee tomorrow for it to be fine-tuned. We will be holding a press conference on Tuesday where we will outline the course of action we are likely to take."
POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS
Mr. Golding charged that the Government was not being truthful about the true state of the economy, noting that the fear of social and political implications had given way to what he called "lies and half-truths".
"The consequences of the Government's inaction, its failure to address truthfully this situation, is very serious," he said.
"It is very serious and requires serious action. We are going to pursue a strategy to ensure that this administration acts in a way that can bring both the country and the economy back on track."
PRESSURE
Other JLP sources said that Mr. Golding's 'back-on-track' comment was the party's intention to exert enough pressure on the Government so that the calling of an early general election would be all but inevitable. (The next general election is scheduled for after mid-October 2007).
"We are of the view that this administration has lost its moral authority to govern," another JLP source said.
"This was the overwhelming view that was expressed at the meeting where our strategy is to ensure that we go back to the polls as soon as possible."
Mr. Golding said it was clear that the Minister of Finance, Dr. Omar Davies, was telling his Cabinet colleagues one thing about the true state of the economy while the people of Jamaica were being told something else.
"The Finance Minister would have the data that are not available to the public," he said. "What he is saying to his colleagues is far more than he is willing to say to the people of the country.
"It is clear that the current data would show the crisis we are in and I am assuming he would share that with his Cabinet colleagues."
Karl Samuda, the JLP's general secretary, said that as an organisation, the JLP was as strong as it had ever been and was now in a position to put pressure on the Government, both at the local and national levels.
"My role is to connect with the people at all levels; we have to bring them on board," he said.
"It will be a two-tier approach; one will be at the parliamentary level where we are very strong and the other will be at the grassroots level where we now have maximum control."
