PNP caretaker accuses Spencer, Government of political victimisation

People's National Party (PNP) caretaker for Clarendon South East Patricia Duncan Sutherland is expressing concern over what she calls a pervasive and flagrant use of state resources for partisan political gain.

Her comments follow the pronouncement of State Minister for Finance Ruddy Spencer at a Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) meeting in Bellefied, Manchester on Sunday.

At the meeting, Spencer promised increased assistance for Labourites through the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) now that a member of the party is the board chairman.  

Spencer has since said it is regrettable that his comments were interpreted to be tribal.

However, he said there is no reason to resign maintaining that he was merely seeking to assure people that there would be an end to political bias at RADA.

READ:  I will not resign, says Ruddy Spencer after controversial RADA comment

Duncan Sutherland said Spencer's utterances on Sunday were particularly heartbreaking for the nation's hardworking farmers for whom RADA's resources and technical expertise are earmarked.

IN PHOTO: Ruddy Spencer

"I condemn, in the strongest terms, the use of public offices for partisan political gain and call on Mr Spencer and the entire Holness-led Administration to uphold standards of probity and equity in the discharge of their functions," she said.    

Duncan Sutherland also claims that there have long been problems of political victimisation in the Clarendon South East constituency held by Spencer.

She says there have been several complaints by residents on a range of issues, including the biased distribution of work on Government projects. 

"Based on Ruddy's pronouncements, there are clear implications for how he conducts his duties in South East Clarendon. This is not the kind of political representation for a modern Jamaica," she said.

The caretaker also alleged a lack of transparency and systems of accountability in the use of the Constituency Development Funds (CDF).

She wants the government to ensure that the allocation of public resources is more closely scrutinised and that Members of Parliament be mandated to hold CDF consultations with community members and provide reports on all expenditure.

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