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PETER BUNTING, the general secretary of the People's National Party (PNP), on Wednesday said his party would not allow itself to be associated with criminals.

In his contribution to the 2010-2011 Sectoral Debate in Parliament, Bunting, who is also opposition spokesman on national security, said the PNP would be keeping a safe distance from gangs.

"The People's National Party categorically repudiates and disassociates itself from all and any alliance, dependency, or common cause with organised crime and the gang culture, which are together responsible for the vast majority of murders," Bunting said in Parliament.

The Central Manchester member of parliament, who was blasting the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) for giving support to reputed crime lord Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, said the PNP was prepared to pay the political price for its stance against criminals.

"This is the cause for which we are prepared to expend political capital," Bunting said.

Smith reacts

But South West St Ann MP Ernest Smith, who later made his own contribution to the debate, scoffed at the declaration made by Bunting.

"With the PNP having at least 11 garrison constituencies run by gangs which are known to the members of Parliament, are they going to disassociate themselves from it too?" Smith asked.

He was, however, made to withdraw the statement by House Speaker Delroy Chuck, who ruled that it was unparliamentary.

Golding's commitment questioned

Meanwhile, Bunting questioned whether Prime Minister Bruce Golding, who walked away from the JLP in 1995 lamenting the nature of politics in Jamaica, is seriously committed to breaking the links between crime and politics.

Golding had confessed that he was in the past "associated with gunmen" and vowed to change the way politics is practised in the country.

Golding is now caught in a quagmire after admitting in Parliament that he had sanctioned a move for the JLP to engage the services of US law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips to resolve a treaty dispute relating to the extradition request for Coke.

The US has accused Coke of illegally trafficking drugs and guns and requested that Jamaica send him there to stand trial.

Golding has said that Coke would not be extradited unless the US conforms to the extradition treaty which, he said, has been breached by the manner in which evidence in the case was collected by the US.