Bruce Golding plays another three card trick

Orchestrators of Tivoli massacre must not go unpunished

Once again Bruce Golding has one been able to outmaneuver the media, commentators, talk show hosts, and so-called civil society. Forced to resign because he compromised himself with Christopher Dudus Coke, there are rumours of very damaging conversations between himself and Coke caught on tape in possession of the American DEA and Justice Department. Instead of focusing on such issues, the Jamaican media have become obsessed with the unfolding drama of who will be his replacement, and what will be the effect on upcoming elections without him in the race.

A distraction
All of that is of little significance compared to the role that Golding played in the unnecessary deaths of 73 to 200 people in Tivoli Gardens. Golding may have negotiated his resignation with the Americans as a way of saving himself further embarrassment, but as far as Jamaican society is concerned, there can be no deal.

Golding keeps saying that Coke’s constitutional rights were violated and yet he agreed to the extradition and resultant deaths of so many people. If Golding’s resignation as some commentators are now saying shows that he is not obsessed with power, then why did he not resign then, or stand up for Coke’s constitutional rights come what may.

Golding’s actions then and now are the signs of a very compromised, selfish and cowardly politician . . . not of a patriot.

Questions
(1) Do Jamaican authorities (those who recorded Coke’s conversations ) have copies of the tapes that are in possession of the Americans?

(2) Shouldn’t there be a commission of enquiry into these tapes to determine if any local co-conspirators of Coke have breached Jamaican laws?

(3) Why has the Public Defender refused to conduct his own investigation into the role played by those with command responsibility for the Tivoli massacre --- prime minister, police commissioner, head of the JDF, and others -- to determine if they have criminal charges to answer?

The media and so-called civil society organizations seem to believe that the snuffed out lives of poor Jamaican people are of no great significance but we in Campaign for Social and Economic Justice will continue to remind the world that there are mass murderers in our state apparatus who have the potential to commit far worse crimes than were committed last year.

And these mass murderers are emboldened by our continued silence.
Lloyd D’Aguilar

Campaign for Social and Economic Justice

NB: Date for internet launching of Looking Back Looking Forward (formerly on Newstalk 93 FM) will soon be announced.