Robert Hart, Parliamentary Reporter
PATTERSON
PRIME MINISTER P.J. Patterson yesterday sought to quell parliamentarians' annoyance over the private sector declaration that politicians sign a document disassociating themselves from criminals.
Mr. Patterson was speaking in Parliament on a resolution establishing a select committee to examine crime.
His comments were also in keeping with decisions made at a meeting between political and private sector leaders at Jamaica House on Monday.
"I well respect and understand the hurt and the resentment which people in this Chamber feel, on both sides of the House, that simply because we are engaged in the political process, it follows that we are associated with persons engaged in criminal wrongdoings," the Prime Minister said.
During Tuesday's sitting of the House of Representatives Government MP Richard Azan, junior agriculture minister Errol Ennis, Opposition MP Dr. St. Aubyn Bartlett and other MPs, said they were hurt and offended by the implication in the private sector declaration that politicians' actions were singularly responsible for the untenable crime rate.
"I also quite strongly support the view, that while it is the Government's responsibility, no government can do it alone except we are prepared to resort to a dictatorship and the suspension of constitutional rights," the Prime Minister said.
Mr. Patterson said he was sure neither the Government, the Opposition, nor the public, would be willing to contemplate such a move.
Arguing that there was nothing wrong with signing the proposed document, the Prime Minister said that politicians had signed on to a similar code of conduct before the last general election, and that candidates from his party had to sign such a document internally.
"If you support anything there is nothing wrong with reaffirming your faith from time to time," Mr. Patterson said, while proposing that others "who wield influence in society" subscribe to a code of conduct as well.
SUPERFICIAL ACT
But despite the Prime Minister's prompting, Opposition MP Clive Mullings maintained that the signing of the proposed document would be a superficial act.
"It must be that in dealing with this issue we go beyond the symbolic signing of documents or the beating of desks," he said.
"If I sit here and swear on a stack of bibles that I am not involved in criminal activities, or associate myself with persons so engaged, it should be of no moment to the security forces in their investigations," Mr. Mullings added.
Minister of National Security Dr. Peter Phillips, who moved the resolution, said the select committee on crime would be closed to the media, because of the sensitive information that would likely be revealed.
The Prime Minister indicated that the committee would submit its report for debate in Parliament before the summer recess.
