Holness and Golding face off tonight

By: Edmond Campbell

Image caption: Election Debate Face-off

As Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness and Opposition Leader Mark Golding come face-to-face tonight in the leadership debate, issues around constitutional reform, the fight against corruption, and FINSAC are among several questions being posed by Mickel Jackson, executive director of Jamaicans for Justice and former Principal Director of National Integrity Action and Professor Emeritus Trevor Munroe.

Jackson argued that the push for constitutional reform, particularly the transition from a constitutional monarchy to a republic, was stalled by political gridlock in the last parliamentary term. 

She said Jamaicans deserve clarity and commitment to a process free from partisan delays. 

Given the recent stalemate in constitutional reform efforts, Jackson is asking what concrete commitments both leaders are prepared to make to ensure that politicking does not derail the next round of reforms, particularly to remove the monarchy and establish Jamaica as a republic.

The human-rights activist also wants the prime minister to highlight his party’s clear position on acceding to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as Jamaica’s final appellate court, and how will he engage the public to build consensus on this issue. 

If the PNP forms the next government, Jackson wants Golding to discuss how he would secure bipartisan support from the JLP to ensure successful accession to the CCJ and advance constitutional reform.

Munroe has suggested questions to both leaders, starting with the prime minister:

1. In your Feb 2017 statement to the House in support of the passage of the establishment of the Integrity Commission, you said, inter alia:

“I advanced the concept of full and complete disclosure ... [of assets and liabilities, including all forms of income ... ] should extend to all parliamentarians.”

On June 16, 2025, The Gleaner reported that the government majority (including ministers Chuck, Malahoo Forte and Bartlett) on the JSC reviewing the Integrity Commission Act voted against and ‘shuts down proposal for ministers’ assets and income to be published’. 

Do you agree with your ministers and thereby change your view on transparency in relation to disclosure of ministerial assets? If so, why? If not, if elected as government, will you move to reverse this decision to maintain secrecy?

2. In 2020, you, along with then Leader of the Opposition Dr Peter Phillips signed an agreement, along with 20 civil society organisations, to amend the Proceeds of Crime Act to provide for ‘unexplained wealth orders’.

This commitment was repeated in the 2023 Throne Speech of the governor general. 

Do you still believe that this is an important tool for Jamaica’s law enforcement authorities to go after ‘unexplained wealth’ ? If not, why have you changed your mind? If not, is this commitment being renewed if the JLP were to form the government after the September 3 election?

3. When you were Opposition leader you promised (see Gleaner , February 8, 2016) that within ‘the first 100 days’ of your administration you would move to institute a fixed election date for general elections, term limits for the PM and proposals to impeach and punish parliamentarians for gross misconduct. No steps have been taken to fulfil any of these commitments over the last nine year,s and none of these proposals are in the 2025 JLP manifesto. 

Why should anyone trust you now in making any further promises, particularly to limit prime ministerial power?

In relation to Golding, Munroe has acknowledged his proposal to modify the ‘gag clause’ in the Integrity Commission Act and allow the IC to name persons being investigated for corruption. 

1. How will this be done without risking ‘reputational damage’ to those subsequently found innocent?

2. You have promised that a new PNP government will institute a fixed election date, term limits for the PM, impeachment legislation, and restore the convention of opposition MPs chairing sessional committees – why are these commitments not included in the PNP’s manifesto? 

3. Recent massive increases to MPs have been widely regarded as ‘unconscionable’. The PM [opted out of] the 200-plus per cent increase in salary to the office of the PM. You did not and accepted the 200-plus per cent increase. Why?

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