Ronald Thwaites | A week of pride and shame

I am so proud of my country and government for our recognition of the Palestinian state. By so doing, we are showing that we are recovering our own mind and principled foreign policy. H. L. Shearer and his buddy M. N. Manley are clapping in heaven. Recognising the right of Palestinians (and Israelis) to nation sovereignty signals us returning to who we used to be: non-aligned, defenders of human rights and supporters of territorial integrity.

We condemn Hamas for their slaughter of Israelis, no matter what the historical provocation and stand steadfast with the Jewish state in its right to secure borders and peaceful coexistence with their Arab neighbours. We acknowledge Jerusalem as a holy space for the three Abrahamic religions, rather than the captive citadel of only one.

All the above is consistent with condemnation of the Gaza genocide - holocaust perpetuated by the survivors of holocaust: a campaign determined to deprive Palestinians (no less human than Israelis) of life, dignity, stability and the safety of nationhood.

Even more, recognising a Palestinian state affirms to the United States and the other Big Power states that Jamaicans have backbones, not wishbones, after all: that we have a national soul, stand for certain principles, and will never again sit at any bucky-massa’s kitchen or courthouse door.

Now we should quietly seek to rescind any official business we have with Netanyahu’s government until they have abandoned hostilities, are encouraged to free the nearly 10,000 Palestinian political prisoners, exchange hostages, and join an international process towards recognition of two states, supervised by external forces, for as long as it takes for both nations to overcome the rasps of history and mature towards peaceful coexistence.

What a proof such Jamaican external policy would be of a morally high-grounded policy, bereft of opportunism and subservience. What other agenda could be stopping us?

A WORD FOR MADURO

In a similar vein, we should tell the government of Venezuela that, because we are their long-term friends and recipients of their great generosity, we strongly encourage them not to lock up their opponents and frustrate free and open elections, but remain faithful to Bolivarian ideals. And, if they need help in monitoring clean elections, we can help.

It is taking too many days for the Integrity Commission to tell us how Dwayne Vaz is prosecuted for incomplete integrity returns when he has a certificate from the same body confirming that he was in the clear. It doesn’t look good and, without more, is both unfair to Vaz and gives legs to those who can’t wait to traduce the Commission some more.

And, by the way, aren’t there other parliamentarians, sitting and legislating right now, whose returns are uncertified and in chronic arrears? Why the difference in treatment?

HAVE MANNERS

Last Tuesday in Parliament was pitiful. More than one government member has confided to me how nauseated they were by the bare-faced hypocrisy of the other Jamaica Labour Party members, who, three weeks ago, led by the most powerful of them, had crucified Valrie Curtis’ reputation on a cross of defamatory accusation. None of the MPs disassociated themselves then. None even said it was ‘unfortunate’. They are the puppets of their front bench.

Mercifully, ordinary Jamaicans have more conscience than some of their leaders, and the sustained outcry forced the ‘49’ to scramble for their political lives and assemble last week, before an appropriately silent Opposition and a sneering nation, to deliver Palm Sunday-like garlands of mealy-mouthed praise to Ms Curtis’ empty chair – verbiage without the decency of withdrawal, apology and compensation: instead, trying to persuade us that the clearly pre-meditated ‘bitch lick’ contained in the Speaker’s letter was really an inconsequential administrative tiff.

No wonder the Clerk declined to even be present at her own farewell ‘nine night’. What kind of mind could have orchestrated last Tuesday’s flop? Have they no manners; no sense of shame? And, unrepentant, we can only expect more of the same from those who Rex would call “bhuttos in Benzes”.

And then, worse, when the legal opinions are grudgingly tabled, as a ‘grace and favour’ gesture, not necessarily to be repeated, some convenient notion of their ‘ambiguity’ is contrived to save face.

AMBIGUITY IS A SMOKE SCREEN

Look here, there is no doubt that both the solicitor general and the attorney general hold that all reports from the auditor general and the Integrity Commission are to be available to the public through Parliament as soon as they are complete, except where annual accounts are first (as they usually are in draft anyway) referred to the responsible minister for comment.

Look here again, there is no doubt about the Supreme Court’s declaratory judgment that the legislative effort to circumvent the Constitution to enlarge the term of the director of public prosecutions is null and of no effect. Since that is the law, until and unless reversed, there can be no graceful-sounding “stepping away” by the previous incumbent whose tenure has ended and cannot be placed on life support by imputing lack of clarity on the Court’s part.

And anyway, why hasn’t anyone invoked the slip rule and ended all controversy. Or maybe confusion suits some people’s purposes? What kind of custodians of law are these who themselves spit on the declared law when it doesn’t suit their purposes, hurts their pride or shows up their incompetence. Now that’s Executive “overreach”. Not the unanimous decision of the Constitutional Court.

TRANSFORMATION HAPPENING?

Next time, I hope to offer, respectfully, some humble suggestion on the faltering transformation of our education institutions. The truth is that the resources needed to quell student violence, classroom disorder and gross underperformance do not now form part of the establishment of our schools. As things are, these desirable objectives cannot be achieved.

The ministry does not have the required remit, resources or will to engage and motivate those social workers, remedial teachers and mentors who are needed and available. Meanwhile, Most Honourable Andrew, we hear your declaration that Jamaica is now a “STEM Island”. We share your passion for this to happen. But Sir, please try literacy, numeracy and effective socialisation first.

Rev Ronald G. Thwaites is an attorney-at-law. He is former member of parliament for Kingston Central and was the minister of education. He is the principal of St Michael’s College and Seminary of The UWI. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com.