JAMAICA LABOUR Party (JLP) senator Dwight Nelson and four Opposition Members of Parliament are still to sign the Political Code of Conduct, according to the Office of the Political Ombudsman.
They had earlier indicated that they would be ready to sign as of January 23. The four MPs are Everald Warmington - South West St. Catherine; Andrew Holness - West Central St. Andrew; Mike Henry - Central Clarendon and Abe Dabdoub - St. Catherine North East.
All parliamentarians, councillors and constituency caretakers, with the exception of the above, have already signed the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ)-prepared document which updates the 2002 version.
The new document includes sections of the PSOJ's Emancipation Park Declaration of 2005 which had demanded that politicians "not associate" themselves with criminals. The document had to be amended after MPs complained the original wording implied they were involved with or supporting criminality.
However, members of the private sector are themselves failing to respond to another of their own initiatives. Launched following the Emancipation Park rally last May, the Jamaica Crime Fund had been established to purchase forensic equipment for the police force; but, so far, just over $5 million has been raised. However, equipment purchases of $5 million have already been approved and ordered.
National Crime Fund Donations
Company - $ in millions
GraceKennedy - 5
Capital & Credit - $250,000
Billy Craig - $50,000
United States resident - US$50
