Jamaica Gleaner - Gov't is running scared, says Seaga - Friday

WORRIED THAT the worsening economic climate could result in massive social unrest throughout the country, the Government, in preparing for the worse, is frantically trying to push 'draconian legislation' through Parliament, Opposition Leader Edward Seaga has charged.

Addressing members of the Rotary Club of Kingston at their weekly luncheon at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston yesterday, Mr. Seaga said the Government was using both the anti-terrorism and the Charter of Rights bills as smokescreens to cover for the major economic crunch the country now finds itself in.

He also pointed to the Patterson administration's insistence on going forward with the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) and the proposal to replace the monarchy with a Republican form of government without a referendum, as indicative of a Government bent on running the country with an iron fist.

"There is a reason for these draconian legislations we see coming before us now. It is in anticipation of a catastrophic financial upheaval which the country will soon find itself in," said Mr. Seaga.

"I don't think any one present here today was comfortable with how the budget was structured. The figures are simply not realisable. There is a $5 billion shortfall and plainly put, the target for fiscal deficit cannot be met. What this means is that the Government will not be able to source any loans internationally... will not be able to get any money to borrow."

SERIOUS FINANCIAL BIND

He continued: "Already we are seeing shortfall in salaries in very critical areas. In the paper this morning we see some schools with a population of 120,000 students facing closure come January if they do not receive outstanding amounts owed by the Education Ministry. Suppliers of services are unable to collect what is owed to them by the Government... we are in a serious financial bind."

The Terrorism Act was tabled in Parliament three weeks ago. It was fashioned in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States.

"The legislation against terrorism came out of the United Nations," he said. "It was designed for international terrorism, not domestic terrorism as the Government would have us believe. What they need to do is to go after the real terrorists we have among us the special teams and squads we have in the security forces, the kind which have been terrorising the people of the country. I would like to know what it is that we have planned for them."

The Charter of Rights is designed to protect the citizens from Government excesses, especially in instances where the state has to, in the interest of national security, make decisions that could infringe on the rights of the people.

"The Government is clearly panicking. There is now this need to brace itself for the worse," the JLP leader said.