Jamaicans call on Prime Minister to resign

[malaise]

http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20100517/lead/lead1.html
<snip>
Prime Minister Bruce Golding will tonight face the nation in a televised address just over 24 hours after the Central Executive - the nerve centre of his governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) - snubbed calls for him to quit because of an about-face on wranglings involving an alleged gangster.

The JLP has instead turned its attention to detractors who, it said, were attempting to crucify the self-proclaimed 'chief servant'. It argued that he did nothing wrong in the controversy surrounding the United States extradition request for Christopher 'Dudus' Coke - wanted in the United States on drug and gun charges - and the contracting of the US law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips.

This sparked an immediate angry response from the Opposition People's National Party.

"The statements by both JLP officers at a press conference yesterday reflect an outrageous contempt and disregard for the Jamaican people and the powerful positions expressed by several national and civil-society groups," said Opposition Leader Portia Simpson Miller.

She said the statements were also "indicative of disregard for the established traditions of our democracy".

http://go-jamaica.com/news/read_article.php?id=19357
<snip>
US-based attorney, Professor David Rowe is again insisting that relations between the United States and Jamaica will further deteriorate if the Prime Minister Bruce Golding does not resign.

Mr. Rowe says the stance taken by the Prime Minister and his party regarding his resignation isn’t likely to go down well with US authorities.

Meanwhile, Mr. Rowe says he’s expecting the US to impose travel restrictions on Jamaica and more visa cancellations as the Manatt affair deepens.


http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/05/15/v-fullstory/1630392/jamaican-leader-caught-in-the.html
<snip>
The Jamaican government maintains that the wiretaps the U.S. government used to record Coke's Kingston cellphone were illegal, and the Minister of Justice declined to sign an extradition order for Coke. Facing intense criticism, she asked the court whether she was within her rights to refuse. The motion is pending.

The prime minister's office did not return calls seeking an interview. Minister of Information Daryl Vaz late Friday denied rumors that Golding had resigned.

The Drug Enforcement Administration referred questions about the Coke case to U.S. Attorney's Office spokeswoman Yusill Scribner, who did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

``We would like to once again reiterate our position that all evidence collected by the United States in the indictment of Christopher `Dudus' Coke was acquired in a manner consistent with existing international agreements between our two countries, and that the extradition request was properly prepared and submitted,'' State Department spokesman Charles Luoma-Overstreet said in a statement.
=====================
Tonight should be interesting.

[Ian David]

1. What are the odds a drug dealer's last name would be Coke? n/t

[malaise]

2. LOL

Like father like son. His father (Lester Lloyd Coke aka Jim Brown) died from a mysterious fire in prison just before his extradition to the US.
Just google Showers Posse - which thrived in the US during the Iran-Contra period when the RWs had ousted Manley and taken over this town.
The irony of this all coming to a head thirty years almost to the date is not being missed.

[Ian David]

3. Well, you know what they say. The harder the come, the taller they fall. n/t

[malaise]

4. Touche

Excellent :fistbump:

[malaise]

5. Golding agreed to extradite Dudus Coke

under pressure from The US Embassy. The US Embassy also issued a travel advisory for American citizens and an alert warning for US citizens in Jamaica.
The next few days should be interesting.