Prime Minister Bruce Golding must stand his ground and the People's National Party (PNP) must be clear on where it stands.

The latter point first: When Dr Peter Phillips, the shadow security minister, spoke on his portfolio subject in Parliament on June 10, this newspaper assumed that his speech, covering significant policy issues, would have been vetted by his party's leader, Portia Simpson Miller.

Among the things that Dr Phillips had to say in that speech, which this newspaper hailed for its post-partisan bravery, was this: "There is urgent need to develop some legal framework which will assist in removing violent criminals off the streets and facilitating the conclusion of police investigations. Too often, the provisions of the Bail Act are exploited and violent criminals are let loose to intimidate and coerce witnesses. We do not think it appropriate to invoke the powers of a state of emergency in order to achieve this objective. But we are nevertheless prepared to explore, with the Government, a viable and acceptable response to this particular circumstance."

Dr. Phillips' use of the third person plural in those remarks suggested that he spoke on behalf of his party. This view would have been reinforced the following day when, after the Vale Royal summit, in the presence of Mrs Simpson Miller, Prime Minister Golding told reporters that in facing down the violent criminality in Jamaica, people will have to make concessions, on accepted liberties, to win back communities. Indeed, there were suggestions of concessions on the point during the talks.

No one is in doubt to what Dr Phillips and Mr Golding referred: if not preventative detention of criminals against whom there may be intelligence but not hard evidence, then extending the period within which people can be legally held without bail.

Now, someone named Andrae Blair, who describes himself as spokesman for the People's National Party Youth Organisation (PNPYO), has delivered a direct slap in the face of Dr Phillips and, we assume, party policy. In a statement this week, Mr Blair attacked Mr Golding for allegedly wanting to contravene the rights of the Jamaican people by authorising "detention for extended periods without charge". He rejected the PM's initiative.

Recall that the PNPYO, which is supposedly under the direct control of the central party and officers, accused of mismanagement and other failings, was shunted out of office while the group was reorganised. But then, soon after Vale Royal, there was what many considered to be ambivalent noises from Mrs Simpson Miller.

Significantly, the PNPYO echoed the re-emergent Jamaicans for Justice, which says that every time Jamaicans have been called to surrender civil liberties their situations have worsened rather than improved.

The point, though, is that in the past people were never asked. This time there is the likelihood of bipartisan consensus - assuming that Dr Phillips really spoke for the PNP - on specific actions, to deal with a grave crisis. Of course, dealing with this problem demands multi-faceted interventions but it is clear that no substantial progress can be made in this overwhelming situation. As Mr Golding said, the society needs a breathing space, some semblance of normality, while it reinstitutes normal processes.

It can't be beyond us to fashion arrangements to allow for the proposed timeout without vulgar breaches of human rights.