Opposition Leader Portia Simpson Miller has dubbed the eight-month-old Bruce Golding administration a failure.
"I am not going to rate them on any scale. I give them a failing grade," Simpson Miller said.
Last September, Simpson Miller led the People's National Party (PNP) to its first defeat in contested parliamentary elections since 1980. The Golding administration has been confronted with several challenges as world conditions have forced food and petrol prices to astronomical levels. Oil prices are now at a record US$128 per barrel compared to just over US$80 per barrel when the Jamaica Labour Party came to power.
Worldwide woes
Strong world demand, especially from China and India, is seen as a contributor to food prices rising.
In addition, the diversion of corn and grains to the manufacture of ethanol and other biofuels, as well as higher energy costs, have been listed as factors leading to food prices rising.
While acknowledging the adverse effect of global conditions on local prices, Simpson Miller said that the Government has refused to show leadership in critical areas.
"What I find with this Government is that they are behaving the same way as when they were in Opposition.
"Any Government that is in power has a responsibility to ensure that they deal with the challenges," Simpson Miller told The Gleaner.
According to the opposition leader, the handling of crime and violence has been a major disappointment.
"We will do anything to assist the Govern-ment, but the Government must also be serious," Simpson Miller said. She complained that the administration has not allocated enough money toward social-intervention programmes.
Murders spiked under the PNP's watch during the last 18 years. Nearly 600 persons have been murdered since January.
Prime Minister Golding, in an attempt to address the crime problem, moved Derrick Smith as national security minister and installed former police commissioner and army officer, Colonel Trevor MacMillan.
Over 14,000 Jamaicans were murdered during the PNP's 18-year reign. Some 1,574 persons - 100 fewer than the record homicides in 2005 - were murdered last year.
Asked what she would do if she were prime minister now, Simpson Miller was guarded.
Community intervention
However, the opposition leader said she would spend more on community-intervention programmes to fight crime. In attacking the effects of rising food prices, she said one of her strategies would be to increase the minimum wage, which now stands at $3,700 per week.
"I would dispatch my minister of foreign trade to like, Argentina, to discuss the question of wheat and to other producing countries of rice and wheat for dialogue," Simpson Miller said.
She added that she would charge her finance minister to keep the lid on inflation.
"It is the wickedest tax on the poor," Simpson Miller said.
The opposition leader, who has done her own introspection of her 18-month stay as prime minister, believes she did well in the job but ran out of time.
"I was not able to achieve as much as I wanted in terms of lifting the standard of living of the masses, but I really feel that I made my mark," she said.
vybz10107 said
07:03 05/19 2008
a what do dutty portia
earlezilla said
09:26 05/19 2008
she start now shi want to gi somebody di blame
STUWY77 said
10:04 05/19 2008
all a unu who a knock pon portia a ra** hypocrite. when tings neva did a gwaan well when she did a run the country unu cuss har too. so reguardless of whateva misfortunes that a reach the world(price hikes) unu need fi ra** cuss who in power now and stop being f*king bias
Garrick said
12:34 05/19 2008
spoken like a true pnp @ stu
ZJSnyper said
12:40 05/19 2008
Bruce has nothing to do with high food and oil price, even we in america are have the same problems that people in jamaica face.
najah said
12:40 05/19 2008
STU U A CHAT ONE BAGGA SHIT, WHEN PORTIA WAS IN POWER WE NEVA FACE WIT NUH WORLD CRISES, AND D COUNTRY STILL DID A RUN f**k UP. THERE IS NOTHING DAT LABOURITE CAN DO TO STOP WORLD CRISES DAN JUS TRY TO MAKE LIFE A BIT EASIER FI UNU.
najah said
12:42 05/19 2008
UNU KNW HOW MANY COUNTRIES INNA D WORLD A FITE AND A KILL EACH OTHER TRU D FOOD CRISES AND DAT NAH HAPPEN IN JAMAICA THANK UNU FI A TANK GOD
ZJSnyper said
12:48 05/19 2008
Bruce is the best ting happy to yard inna one long time. Di reason why some PNP people dont like Bruce is because di man mek dem start pay tax, cause nuf a dem just waan live fi free and dont contribut to the Country.
kurt said
12:50 05/19 2008
pnp to di worl
ZJSnyper said
12:51 05/19 2008
fire fi a pnp
earlezilla said
12:52 05/19 2008
hmm
up2 said
12:53 05/19 2008
lol
showa man ting
Keneilb said
14:14 05/19 2008
Portia naah nuh say inna dis 'cause she couldn't do a better job memba
Crazypickney said
17:03 05/19 2008
come on, they took over the country during a world wide crisis. Most of them have never were always on the opposition side.. not everyone succeed on the first try
pengo said
17:14 05/19 2008
najah mi can see seh u a think and put urself b4 politics. mi noh prefer noh party more than miself. wi afi start put ourselves b4 party and mek dem know seh dem noh fi do noh f**kry else we ago vote dem out. di man dem fi stop talk bout born come see and mi prefer deh party ya soh a dehso mi vote deh and one bag a f**kry cuz mi hear nuff a dat. mek wi wise up and think. MEK SENSE! u think?
nexx said
17:24 05/19 2008
portia is a uncontrollable disaster, mi no want she represent mi inna no international situation. next ting shi go tel di pple dem bout dem claat or talk bout manifesto. Wa kinda example dat shi an ar ediat fren dem a show. How di f**k dem want the real criminal dem fi do something wa dem as di government cyaan do, everyminute shi a look war.
Opposition Leader Portia Simpson Miller has dubbed the eight-month-old Bruce Golding administration a failure.
"I am not going to rate them on any scale. I give them a failing grade," Simpson Miller said.
Last September, Simpson Miller led the People's National Party (PNP) to its first defeat in contested parliamentary elections since 1980. The Golding administration has been confronted with several challenges as world conditions have forced food and petrol prices to astronomical levels. Oil prices are now at a record US$128 per barrel compared to just over US$80 per barrel when the Jamaica Labour Party came to power.
Worldwide woes
Strong world demand, especially from China and India, is seen as a contributor to food prices rising.
In addition, the diversion of corn and grains to the manufacture of ethanol and other biofuels, as well as higher energy costs, have been listed as factors leading to food prices rising.
While acknowledging the adverse effect of global conditions on local prices, Simpson Miller said that the Government has refused to show leadership in critical areas.
"What I find with this Government is that they are behaving the same way as when they were in Opposition.
"Any Government that is in power has a responsibility to ensure that they deal with the challenges," Simpson Miller told The Gleaner.
According to the opposition leader, the handling of crime and violence has been a major disappointment.
"We will do anything to assist the Govern-ment, but the Government must also be serious," Simpson Miller said. She complained that the administration has not allocated enough money toward social-intervention programmes.
Murders spiked under the PNP's watch during the last 18 years. Nearly 600 persons have been murdered since January.
Prime Minister Golding, in an attempt to address the crime problem, moved Derrick Smith as national security minister and installed former police commissioner and army officer, Colonel Trevor MacMillan.
Over 14,000 Jamaicans were murdered during the PNP's 18-year reign. Some 1,574 persons - 100 fewer than the record homicides in 2005 - were murdered last year.
Asked what she would do if she were prime minister now, Simpson Miller was guarded.
Community intervention
However, the opposition leader said she would spend more on community-intervention programmes to fight crime. In attacking the effects of rising food prices, she said one of her strategies would be to increase the minimum wage, which now stands at $3,700 per week.
"I would dispatch my minister of foreign trade to like, Argentina, to discuss the question of wheat and to other producing countries of rice and wheat for dialogue," Simpson Miller said.
She added that she would charge her finance minister to keep the lid on inflation.
"It is the wickedest tax on the poor," Simpson Miller said.
The opposition leader, who has done her own introspection of her 18-month stay as prime minister, believes she did well in the job but ran out of time.
"I was not able to achieve as much as I wanted in terms of lifting the standard of living of the masses, but I really feel that I made my mark," she said.