Breaking News - Jamaican Prime Minister throws in the towel-Bruce Golding stepping down

[malaise]

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/latest/article.php?id=32148
<snip>
According to a statement from Daryl Vaz, minister with responsibility for information, Golding conveyed this decision to the party's central executive at its quarterly meeting, held at the Belmont Road headquarters today.

Golding had said he had planned to lead the party into a second term of government and demit office within two years thereafter.

"The challenges of the last four years have taken their toll and it was appropriate now to make way for new leadership to continue the programmes of economic recovery and transformation while mobilizing the party for victory in the next general elections," the prime minister said.
------
The big question here in Kingston is whether this is connected to the plea bargain for Christopher 'Dudus' Coke.


Another DU first

[Ohio Joe]

1. I do not know anything about Jamaica... Is this good or bad? - nt

[malaise]

2. Very good

Worst government in history. The events following the Dudus extradition did him in.
History will not be kind to him with all those deaths.

[monmouth]

3. If you're happy malaise, then I'm happy..LOL. I'm clueless here...n/t

[malaise]

4. They're all owned by the neocons

but after last May I can't wait to see the back of this scumbag.
What I want to know is whether this is connected to the Coke plea bargain.

[malaise]

5. Check this article in today's Gleaner

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20110925/focus/focus6.html
<snip>

The Bruce Golding/ Christopher 'Dudus' Coke concatenation has, and will, continue to occupy public space for some time to come. Coke has become one of Golding's biggest nightmares. The entire situation could have been avoided if Golding had stuck to his promise to be 'new and different'. He did not.

The Golding-Coke saga is one of the most shameful and humiliating in Jamaica's history. For nine months Golding and the JLP Government hijacked the extradition process. This resulted in near social anarchy, immeasurable economic damage and untold embarrassment for Jamaica in the international community.

Politics must never be mixed with criminality. If that happens, the possibility of criminals taking over politics is real, and we will be the worse for it. As such, whether the JLP or the PNP, everything must be done to rid our politics of criminals and criminality.

What is needed is firm, decisive action, and an influx of decent, committed, law-abiding and patriotic persons who are prepared to excoriate all forms of criminality from our political process.

[monmouth]

6. I know you are extremely savvy with the politics there, would you ever

consider running for an office. I read all of your posts and you truly do sound like someone who could take the bull, as they say, by the horn. I can't blame you for rejoicing in seeing the back of this guy...

[malaise]

8. Nope

I'm not a politician. I believe my role is to educate youth so that politicians and others cannot fool them.

[jwirr]

7. This sounds good. Let us hope that it works out for the people.

[malaise]

9. Some of us are very suspicious that this may be a plan

outwit the enemies in his party in time for the convention in November. Seaga may have taught him well. Mixed signals this evening with the central executive voting to reject his resignation and his loyal goon saying the resignation is final.

On the other hand we also wonder whether the two plea bargain deals - Dudus in New York and David Smith the Ponzi king in Florida and Turks and Caicos are connected to this decision.
This week should be very interesting

[jwirr]

10. Hmmm. seems like it is just a situation that will have to be watched.

[malaise]

11. ABC has been following this from 2009

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/jamaicas-pm-announces-step-14602732
Useful report