Please read previous post for a background to this post:
Prime Minister, Bruce Golding, addressed Parliament and in extension, the nation, earlier, today.
He said that:
- The Government of Jamaica regrets the loss of life, but are intent on going after the criminal gunmen.
- The operations under Emergency Powers are extra-ordinary measures, but these are necessary under extraordinary circumstances
- There will be a Tribunal set up to examine cases of persons who've been arrested - members of which are to be announced tomorrow.
- He has agreed with the Opposition Leader - Portia Simpson-Miller, re installing an Oversight Body to monitor the State of Emergency to ensure that persons' human rights are being addressed.
- The Crime Bill is to be fast-tracked and Anti-Gang Legislation is to be drawn up using the Canadian and Irish models as benchmarks.
- He explained that the provisions under the State of Emergecny has been gazetted...
(We will bring you the full text as soon as it's posted).
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Today, criminals launched an all-out attack on police stations - Kingston Central Police Station was under heavy fire today, but the gunmen were repelled by the police.
Nineteen (19) people have reportedly died from the actions of gunmen in Spanish Town over the past two(2) days:
Gunmen went from house-to-house on March Pen Road and decided who they should have killed. They fire-bombed a house with a 7-month baby inside.
In Waterford - in Portmore, St. Catherine, three (3) people were shot.
In response to the upsurge in violence in St. Catherine, Mrs. Sharon Hay Webster - MP for South Central St. Catherine, has asked the PM that the State of Emergency be extended to these parishes as well...he has said that he will consider this.
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Kingston Public Hospital and the Andrews Memorial Hospital are only seeing emergency cases...due to staff shortage.
Schools in the Corporate Area (except for those holding exams) will be out again tomorrow.
So too will be most businesses that are in the vicinity of Downtown Kingston or that have office branches there.
Most businesses in St. Andrew will again be opened for minimal hours.
The Consular Services of the US Embassy will again be closed tomorrow.
Gillian
Sources Include
Television Jamaica, May 25, 2010
CVM Television, May 25, 2010