Kingston, Jamaica — Earth-shattering news amidst a bad economy across the Caribbean has forced plans for Prime Minister of Jamaica, Bruce Golding, to tender his resignation.
BP is standing outside WhiteHALL at this hour, where we have learnt the Governor has been notified.
Formal notice of Golding’s decision was delivered to HE Patrick Allen, Governor of the Caribbean nation last night. The news forced BP’s team in Jamaica to stand on high alert as the transition within the JLP takes effect.
Right now we can tell you the Gleaner is reporting the same and has penned in its newspaper the following:
JLP Leader Bruce Golding will not seek re-election at the party’s annual general conference in November, and will step down as prime minister as soon as a new leader has been elected.
According to a statement from Daryl Vaz, minister with responsibility for information, Golding conveyed this decision to the party’s central executive at its quarterly meeting, held at the Belmont Road headquarters today.
Golding had said he had planned to lead the party into a second term of government and demit office within two years thereafter.
“The challenges of the last four years have taken their toll and it was appropriate now to make way for new leadership to continue the programmes of economic recovery and transformation while mobilizing the party for victory in the next general elections,” the prime minister said.
Golding’s resignation was a result of an open rebellion within the organization’s rank following the extradition of Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke to US authorities, JLP party insiders confirm.
Coke operated and lived in Golding’s West Kingston district.
The decision to extradite Coke, lead to one of the bloodiest battles in Jamaican’s recent history where more than 73 civilians lost their lives in riots over the decision.
With a bad economy and rising unemployment, Golding’s plan to depart also came following reports of a lack of the will to repair the already damaged Jamaican economy.
Prior to the news Jamaica’s opposition PNP headed by, Portia Simpson-Miller, called on Golding to immediately call general elections in an effort “to resolve the crisis of governance in the country.” The PNP this morning added Golding’s departure alone will not repair the problems of bad governance and added that the entire government should join him to let the people decide the way forward.
