By Omar Anderson, and Robert Hart, Gleaner Reporters
Golding... says outgoing leader should have defused mounting conflicts. - Rudolph Brown/Staff Photographer
BRUCE GOLDING, Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) chairman, said yesterday that party leader Edward Seaga is to share equal blame for any disrespect shown to him that may have partially resulted in his decision to quit the top party post.
Mr. Seaga's hinting at disrespect on a radio programme yesterday was an indirect reference to the party's reformist wing that has thrown its full support behind Mr. Golding to become the next JLP leader.
However, while acknowledging that tensions have been mounting in the party for some time, Mr. Golding told The Gleaner Mr. Seaga has to assume his fair share of the blame in failing to defuse what he said were 'difficult' tensions.
"There have been tensions within the party for some time, and the tensions have been difficult to manage for a variety of reasons, for which the leader and myself have to take personal responsibility," he said. When pressed, he said he would not disclose the reasons.
On Tuesday, Mr. Seaga wrote Mr. Golding regarding his desire to quit as party leader after the JLP's 61st annual conference in November.
The Gleaner was unable to get a copy of the letter which, according to at least one JLP Member of Parliament, included stinging accusations that the party has been badly run by Mr. Golding since he became chairman about six months ago. In the letter, Mr. Seaga also said that Mr. Golding's actions confirmed his fears, held since 1995, that the latter would be a failure as a leader.
During yesterday's sitting of the House of Representatives, at least three visibly upset Opposition MPs were seen reading the letter.
"One section of the letter justifies why Mr. Seaga said he was a failure in 1995," The Gleaner was told.
DELIBERATELY DISRESPECTFUL
Seaga, in an interview on Power 106 FM's 'Straight Talk' call-in programme, acknowledged that elements within the party had been deliberately disrespectful to him because they knew they were being backed.
"They have to be [newcomers] because anybody with any experience at all in the party knows that you don't do that sort of thing; there is a protocol, there is a tradition, there are rules and regulations," Mr. Seaga said.
Yesterday, Ed Bartlett, former Area One deputy leader, said the 74-year-old party leader has not been shown the type of respect befitting a politician with more than 40 years service to the country.
"He shouldn't have been pushed to resign," he told The Gleaner. "Everybody knew he was contemplating his move very carefully. It does not look good that his timetable has been hurried by the disrespect and other negatives that have come."
During the radio programme yesterday, Mr. Seaga told host Wilmot Perkins that he had been contemplating stepping down from earlier this year and had planned to announce it at the Central Executive meeting that was scheduled for last Sunday.
"It wasn't a matter of keeping it secret," he said. You should do it before your Central Executive, which is the largest body and the second most important body in the party. You must pay respect to your party colleagues," he said.
