Advocates Network renews call for better governance

The Advocates Network (AN) is calling Jamaicans to renew their push for better governance and greater accountability and transparency for the island while building on the lessons learnt and takeaways from 2023. 

The group’s advocacy work related to good governance and human rights in 2023 included:

Good Governance

Integrity Commission (IC)/Integrity of our Representatives – After more than two years, Jamaica’s Prime Minister has not yet satisfied the requirements of the IC to be certified under an anti-corruption legislation. We continue to urge the IC to prioritize the completion of this investigation in the country’s interest and the Prime Minister. We commend the Government for the timely review of the Integrity Commission Act, 2017, however, we encourage Jamaicans to pay close attention to the amendments to be proposed in 2024, to ensure that the public concerns of potential weakening of the legislation do not materialize. We are pleased with the improvements in the communication between the IC and the public regarding the tabling of reports, and note that lessons have been learnt from the public outcry around the February saga related to investigation of the contracts implicating Mr. Andrew Holness in his capacity as MP. The AN continues to advocate for Members of Parliament (MPs), who are the subject of an investigation by the IC for “illicit enrichment”, to recuse themselves from all public assignments until they satisfy the relevant investigative body and are absolved.

Corruption and Cronyism continue to be a major concern. The Stocks and Securities Limited (SSL) multimillion-dollar fraud has raised several questions about Jamaica’s financial regulatory framework such as:

1.     Did the Financial Services Commission (FSC) report to the Minister of Finance the reason for their not paying the workers, who were helping to unravel the accounts of SSL? If so, what is the reason?

2.     What documentation is there that establishes that the public funds advanced to pay the workers and operational expenses will be repaid to the Government of Jamaica (GOJ)?

3.     If SSL is insolvent, what legal advice has the GOJ received on the security of taxpayers’ funds “given or lent” to pay the disgruntled staff and cover some operational expenses?

4.     Who will be held accountable for the poor security that led to the break in and theft of SSL laptop computers, including one belonging to SSL’s chief financial office?

Public Bodies Management and Accountability – The AN highlighted the absence of adequate oversight which continues to dog publicly owned entities. Though the matter of the SSL debacle dominated 2023, the government and its oversight bodies failed to fully address the number of accountability issues related to matters related to Airports Authority of Jamaica, Nutrition Products Limited, Caribbean Maritime University etc.

Unacceptable, Unconscionable & Unfair Pay Increase – The AN responded to the unprecedented announcement of 200+% increase in salaries for MPs by the Minister of Finance in May by mounting a series of lunch-time protests. The increases were particularly unfair as nurses, teachers and other civil servants were compelled to accept pay increases that were closer to 20% which have significantly contributed to the overseas exodus of many medical and educational practitioners. The protests called not only for a roll back of politicians’ salaries but also for the promised job descriptions, accountability mechanisms and methods of assessment to be laid in parliament. We also called for the Governor General’s salary, which moved from $12M to $34 million, to be rolled back and be subject to tax, as, currently it is tax exempted.

Constitutional Reform – The AN encouraged Jamaicans to Join “A Fi Wi Republic” Campaign to boost public participation in creating a new Constitution that goes beyond removing the King as Head of State in creating Jamaica’s Republic. In the absence of adequate public education, the campaign sought to build public awareness and deepen understanding of constitutional issues through online and face-to-face forums and a schools debating competition. The AN also presented to the Constitutional Reform Committee (CRC) recommended changes to the structure of government to strengthen the voice of the people in governance and to ensure adequate oversight and scrutiny of Executive decisions in Parliament. The AN viewed the government’s decision to change the constitutionally determined tenure of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) without adequate parliamentary notice or debate as an egregious affront to the ongoing CRC process and the role of the Jamaican people in changing the Constitution. Given the unsatisfactory outcome of the CRC to date, we see the $1.6 billion allocated to Ministry of Legal & Constitutional Affairs to date, as yielding no significant value for taxpayers.

Human Rights

Crime & Violence has plagued Jamaica for far too long. The AN maintains that de facto back-to-back extension of States of Emergency (SOEs) without the required reference to and approval by Parliament is unacceptable and does not address the root causes of crime. There are no quick fix solutions for inter-generational criminality. This is fundamentally a development problem. A core aspect of crime reduction and sustainable development is an appropriately educated population. This requires a well-prepared, respected and adequately paid set of teachers along with appropriately equipped schools island wide, and more.

Treatment of Haitians – In July, the AN decried the heartless treatment of 37 Haitians, who arrived in Jamaica seeking asylum and were arrested and charged for illegal entry. The charges were subsequently dropped pending consideration of their case, which has still not been decided. Since then, three other sets of Haitians were denied their internationally agreed human rights to seek asylum, as the GOJ, within hours, sent them back to Haiti without due process or even a hearing. The AN viewed the GOJ’s action as cruel, inhumane, and inconsistent with international law, and our own refugee policy.

Conclusion

Our 2023 reflections suggest that some progress has been made. However, much more is to be done on our journey towards a more just and equitable society. While we do not all have the same interpretation of these issues listed, we hope Jamaicans will agree that more work is needed to improve governance and human rights. This is not only the responsibility of the GOJ. It is also the responsibility of the people of Jamaica. The future of Jamaica is in our hands. The power of the people is greater than the people in power!

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The AN is a non-partisan alliance of individuals and organizations advocating for human rights and good governance to improve the socio-economic conditions of the people of Jamaica and transform lives. We actively encourage citizen participation in addressing the structural issues of inequality, injustice, discrimination, abuse, violence, corruption, and other social problems that have persisted from our history of slavery/colonization and contributed to human rights abuses and poor governance in Jamaica.