Seivright disappointed in Golding leadership

There is more indication today that Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) young Turk, Delano Seivright, was annoyed that Prime Minister Bruce Golding was not providing enough "jobs for the boys".

Seivright set off a firestorm last year after he posted a message in which he challenged his party to boot civil servants not sympathetic to the party's cause.

For weeks, Seivright defended himself in the face of criticisms and argued that he was not advocating the dismissal of civil servants based on their political leanings.

But a secret diplomatic cable from the United States Embassy in Kingston suggested that Seivright had long held the position that JLP backers should get the government jobs held by supporters of the People's National Party (PNP).

jlp stalwarts disappointed

According to the October 2009 cable, Seivright told US Embassy officials that JLP stalwarts and supporters were disappointed that Golding had not booted PNP supporters from their jobs and installed Labourites.

"Delano Seivright, a JLP party insider who works in the PM's office, told (embassy official) that the general feeling within the JLP was that Golding had wasted valuable time pursuing elusive political consensus with an opposition party unwilling to accept its fate," said the cable.

"As a result, Seivright explained, after years of toiling for the party, (JLP supporters) had expected to assume some of those posts held by known PNP operatives," the cable said.

The diplomatic cable claimed that the Generation 2000 (G2K) president said some people who supported Golding's return to the JLP after his about-face from the National Democratic Movement were becoming impatient with his leadership, which they felt was beginning to drive segments of the re-energised middle class back into apathy.

The US Embassy cable was dispatched to Washington shortly after Prime Minister Golding's midnight presentation in Parliament about the planned rationalisation of the public sector.

Seivright clearly held on to the view and continued to advocate the dismissal of some civil servants serving under the previous Government.

"If we continue to keep these people in sensitive positions, then all this really does is to maintain the status quo of Jamaica being a PNP country and the JLP running the risk of being a one-term government," Seivright said then through the social media.

"Remember the former BOJ governor with his high interest rate policies? Those policies nearly sank the ship. He didn't like a bone in this Government," added Seivright.

At that time, Seivright added: "Remember ... the JLP paid dearly for facilitating the appointment of a former police commissioner who many said was anti the Government! …

"We won an election, which gives us the opportunity to implement policies that we sold to the electorate. These policies cannot be led by PNP functionaries and their affiliates dressed in civil servant suits and perceived as being impartial."

When contacted on Friday, Seivright refused to comment on the cable.