Bruce Golding and the 'New Jamaica' project

THE EDITOR, Sir:

BRUCE GOLDING, knowingly or unknowingly, has heralded the beginning of the New Jamaica project. Jamaicans say 'every disappointment is for a good'. Out of the chaos of the Coke extradition issue, a new order has emerged. The new order of truly open, transparent and participatory governance overseen, by an ever vigilant and demanding civil society; a new order where corrupt politicians are removed from office; where the link between politicians and dons are severed, garrisons disarmed and gangs disbanded. A new order where the rule of law prevails, where the man who plays by the rules is not shafted, but rewarded and where every Jamaican feels a sense of security.

Since his National Democratic Movement days, and most recently reaffirmed, Bruce Golding has raised the bar for himself much higher. Therefore, we listened with regret some of the uttering of the recent past on the extradition issue but, like a true statesman, Bruce Golding has risen to the occasion, recognised his mistakes, corrected them, lit a candle, sang a sankey and returned to the path, so defined.

Democracy

Bruce Golding has picked himself from the scrap heap of political, to initiate the new Jamaica project, where criminals cower in fear of law enforcement and law-abiding Jamaicans enjoy the liberty of our democracy and the fruits of our labour. Post-Labour Day Jamaica is a much different place.

Opponents of a second round of the limited state of emergency, led by the opposition spokesman on National security, Peter Bunting, claim "the present state of affairs does not warrant such a designation." I would like to ask Mr Bunting, and those so minded, is more than 1,700 murders, annually, a normal state of affairs? Jamaica's annual murder rate exceeds those of Afghanistan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria combined - is this normality?

Once again, history is offering Bruce Golding clear choices - to become the greatest political leader in Jamaica's history or to be confined to the footnotes of history as the leader who squandered the greatest opportunity to restore Jamaica's lustre. Make no bones about it, Golding can distinguish himself as the leader to initiate the New Jamaica project, to rid our country of garrisons, gangs and the scourge of being the murder capital of the world.

I am, etc.,

Arnold Benedict