Questionable Conduct: The Jamaican Political Reality

The Report of the Tivoli COE is expected around mid-April , some two (2) months after the end of the public hearings. Those public hearings took place over some fourteen (14) calendar months. The Terms of Reference (TOR) of the Western Kingston Commission of Enquiry states iner alia: “ 2. The Commission shall use its best efforts to conclude its enquiry within three (3) months after it commences, and shall make a full and faithful report on and recommendations concerning the aforesaid matters, and transmit the same to His Excellency the Most Honourable Governor General, within two (2) months after concluding its enquiry.”  Obviously there was the expectation that the public hearing would have lasted some three (3) consecutive calendar months from the date of commencement baring any unavoidable and unforeseeable delays. Similarly the Report should be submitted to the Governor- General within two (2 ) consecutive calendar months of concluding of its enquiry, baring any u...

A showdown looms between the Jamaica Defence Force(JDF) and the Public Defender. The battle lines are drawn. The Public Defender has tabled in Parliament its Interim Report on the "Tivoli incursion/siege". That has been the subject of discussions in the local and international media, the choice topic of social media and is available on the GOJ Parliament website. The JDF has not officially responded to the adverse findings contained in Witter's Report. Indeed Earl Witter had led the public to expect a Final Report. However he has since retired and the only question is whether or not he has "packed up taken his marbles with him". The JDF has thrown down the gauntlet and signaled in no uncertain terms the approach it intends to adopt during the Tivoli Commission of Enquiry: "The JDF, meanwhile, said that it welcomed the opportunity to respond to "numerous unfortunate conclusions drawn on the basis of unsubstantiated allegations, misrepresentation...

The Tivoli "incursion/siege" was a military-driven operation. That is another way of stating that The Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) played the central role in the planning and implementation of the exercise. It follows that any investigation into the armed confrontation between the civilians and members of the Security Forces must involve analysis of the veracity of the information informing the strategies which were considered,the options which were available, the factors informing the decisions taken, as well as the the nuts and bolts of the actual operation carried out.  The need for unbiased military expertise cannot be disputed. What is subject to debate is the formal role to be accorded to such skill set. Our position is that should be accorded the position of Commissioner reflecting the importance and centrality of such to the Commission of Enquiry aimed at unearthing the truth, irrespective of its inconvenience--political and otherwise. Others are of the view that suc...

In an earlier post we posited Some Preliminary Concerns regarding the proposed Tivoli Commission of Enquiry. With respect to the skill set of the panel of commissioners we noted the clear need for " a foreign security expert with specialized training/ experience in intelligence gathering & analysis, surveillance, and urban armed confrontation." We argued that t he exercise in Tivoli was a military operation and no doubt the security Forces are anxious to tell how they saved Jamaica, acted with considerable restraint and in so doing prevented the escalation of fatalities. "The questioning and analysis of the operations conducted by the Security Forces in Tivoli has to be the central focus of the COE. It cannot be a public relations exercise aimed at restoring the public's confidence in the Security Forces in general and the Jamaica Defence Force in particular." We post the original letter by Colonel Allan Douglas to the Observer : an edited vers...

The Government of Jamaica (GOJ) has announced the establishment of a Commission of Enquiry (COE) to enquire into the circumstances surrounding the armed confrontation between members of the Security Forces and armed civilians primarily in Tivoli Gardens/ Denham Town area on and around May 10, 2010.                                                                               General Concerns The announcement of the Tivoli COE has been accompanied by an admission that there is no budget as yet for the exercise and no scheduled commencement date. However, the Minister of Justice is hoping that the...