Opposition Leader Bruce Golding (left) listens to Desmond McKenzie, Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) councillor for the Tivoli Gardens division, during yesterday's annual JLP Area Council One meeting at Tarrant High School in St. Andrew. - PHOTOS BY RUDOLPH BROWN/CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
Dionne Rose, Staff Reporter
BRUCE GOLDING, Opposition Leader, yesterday accused the head of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) of playing politics in labelling the Jamaica Labour Party's Tivoli Gardens stronghold the "mother of all garrisons".
Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin, the JDF's chief of staff, had made the claim during a press conference last Friday, days after a joint police-military operation was launched in the west Kingston community in pursuit of suspects wanted for the murders of three policemen earlier this year.
"The chief of staff sought to use Tivoli Gardens as a scapegoat for inefficiencies in the security forces, playing upon the politically-motivated Tivoli hysteria," said Mr. Golding, the Member of Parliament.
SHAMEFUL, UNWORTHY
He was speaking during the annual Jamaica Labour Party Area Council One conference held at the Tarrant High School, St. Andrew. He branded the JDF chief's comments "shameful and unworthy of someone in his position".
Mr. Golding said the security forces' operation was a fiasco and, as a result, the chief of staff chose to "monsterise" Tivoli Gardens to cover its failure.
"We pay the chief of staff and we pay the commissioner of police to curb crime; we do not pay them to play politics," he said.
Mr. Golding appealed to the security forces to stay focused on the job they were sworn to do and to be professional.
The Opposition Leader: claimed the PNP controlled the vast majority of garrison constituencies and that the three leading contenders for the governing party's presidency, Peter Phillips, Portia Simpson Miller and Omar Davies, currently represent "entrenched and violent garrisons" in their constituencies.
"Never mind all of that, it is Tivoli Gardens that is criticised, demonised, ostracised and traumatised. It is damn unfair!" he said to loud applause from the audience.
Mr. Golding said he was not sanctifying Tivoli Gardens and admitted there were criminals in the constituency, as there were everywhere.
CRIMINALS IN THE ARMY
He stressed that there were also criminals in the army as, just weeks ago, a JDF soldier was arrested and charged with possession of almost 500 rounds of ammunition suspected of being supplied to the criminal underworld.
"And we must ask the questions: How many rounds may have gone undetected? How many more suppliers may still be operating under the very nose of the chief of staff?" he said.
Mr. Golding harshly criticised the JDF for ignoring the cries of 10-year-old Sasha-Kay Brown and her family who were burnt to death despite residents begging soldiers for help. The soldiers reportedly refused to assist because they said they could not operate without police in the area.
