Johnson Smith Hits Back at Claims Holness Administration Threatens Democracy

Foreign Affairs Minister, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, has hit back at critics who say the Holness administration is threatening the country’s democratic traditions.

She was responding to recent criticisms from sections of civil society and the Opposition PNP raising the spectre of tyranny and authoritarianism.

But speaking in West Kingston on Sunday, Senator Johnson-Smith, says only the PNP has ever taken actions that can be considered a threat to Jamaica’s democracy.

Shaloy Smikle has more in this report.

The usually diplomatic Senator Kamina Johnson Smith did not hold her punches as she criticised the PNP’s escalating rhetoric alleging that the government has been steering the country towards autocracy.

The Foreign Minister asked Jamaicans to recall the 1976 State of Emergency in which political rivals of the then PNP government were imprisoned in the run up to a General Election.

Johnson Smith, who is also Leader of Government Business in the Senate, criticised the PNP’s attempts to politicise the civil service in the 1970s through the so-called Pickersgill Committee.

The Committee required members of the independent civil service to declare their political allegiance to the PNP’s democratic socialist ideals before they could be considered for government jobs.

Johnson Smith says only the PNP has ever attempted such a scheme.

The Foreign Minister also reminded her audience of the PNP’s attempts to stack civic bodies and organisations.

She says the JLP has never endorsed such a policy when in government.