Cable outlining Phillips' thoughts on Simpson Miller

The following is a United States Embassy cable dated July 11, 2008

SUBJECT: JAMAICA: FORMER MINISTER OF NATIONAL SECURITY

1. (C) Summary: In a recent conversation with the NAS director, Jamaica's former minister of national security and opposition People's National Party (PNP) leader, Peter Phillips, agreed that there is danger that Jamaica could go the way of Haiti if the current government were to fail in its reform efforts and if Portia Simpson Miller (Phillips' rival in the PNP) were returned to power. Phillips continues to mull over whether to challenge Simpson Miller for control of the PNP during its party congress in September. Phillips also encouraged the USG (United States Government) to continue to push the GOJ on anti-corruption and police reform. In particular, he advised us to vocally support the current commissioner of police, Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin. End Summary.

English-Speaking Haiti

2. (C) On June 27, the NAS Director met with Jamaica's former minister of national security, Peter Phillips, ostensibly to seek his advice on how the USG could best continue to support the current commissioner of police, Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin. Phillips, who when he was minister could be quite guarded, was in a relaxed and talkative mode and the NAS director had the opportunity to speak with him about a broad range of topics, including his views on the seeming inability of the Government of Jamaica to make headway against spiralling violent crime. In the conversation the NAS director asked Phillips' opinion of an assessment of Jamaica's future, which she had heard from several prominent Jamaicans - that Jamaica sits at a precipice, and unless drastic measures are taken in short order, then in five, maximum 10 years, Jamaica could become "English-speaking Haiti." Perhaps because he is now in Opposition, surprisingly Phillips not only did not reject this comparison, he agreed with it. (Ref A)

Prime Minister Golding's Ineptness

3. (C) Phillips stated that he has been thoroughly disappointed with the across-the-board "ineptness" of Prime Minister Golding's Government. (Ref B) He places the blame squarely at Golding's feet for the results of a recent poll indicating that former Prime Minister, Portia Simpson Miller, who Phillips called a "disaster" for the country, had gained ground and now was more popular than Golding. (Note: Simpson Miller's rise in the polls is inconvenient for Prime Minister Golding; it also hampers Phillips' ability to challenge her for leadership of the PNP during this September's party congress.)

4. (C) Phillips stated that it was an astonishing possibility that the PNP, after "running the country into the ground for the last 18 years", could possibly come back to power.

According to Phillips, Simpson Miller, who was in a political "free fall" after the PNP's defeat in September 2007, has been energised by the most recent poll numbers. Phillips made no bones about his desire to challenge Simpson Miller for leadership of the party, but said that this new burst of popularity for the former prime minister was causing a rift among his supporters. He explained that there are elements within the PNP who are trying to convince Phillips to stay his hand, and given Prime Minister Golding's slim margins in Parliament, mount a vote of no-confidence and ride Simpson Miller's popularity back into power. This element within the PNP had told Phillips that they would then support a move by him to internally challenge Portia once the PNP was returned to power. He commented that they clearly were motivated more by a desire to get back into power, than by any real desire to serve the people of Jamaica.

5. (C) When asked by the NAS director if he would ever serve in another Simpson Miller-led government, Phillips stated that he "never says never, but his answer is no; it would simply be too distasteful". (Comment: Prior to the aforementioned poll, all signs pointed to Phillips or his supporters leading a challenge against Simpson Miller for leadership of the PNP in September 2008. Phillips now does not seem ready to do so given Simpson Miller's current greater focus and energy. Post's other PNP sources confirm that the poll numbers have reinvigorated Simpson Miller. Poll numbers just released on July 11 show that 48 per cent believe that Simpson Miller is doing only an "average" job as opposition leader, and 22 per cent have a negative impression. Given that the PNP congress is not until September, how this additional snapshot of public opinion may not tell us much about Phillips' eventual decision to challenge Simpson Miller.

6. (C) Phillips further opined that a return of Simpson Miller, and her troubled former minister of telecommunications, mines and energy, Philip Paulwell, would exacerbate the Haitianization of Jamaica and Jamaican politics. (Comment: Phillips' dislike of Simpson Miller, insistence that he would not serve in another government run by her, and harsh criticism of the PNP's 18-year reign, seem to smack a bit of convenient amnesia, as he served as minister without a portfolio, minister of special projects, minister of transport and works, minister of health, and minister of national security over successive PNP terms in power from 1993 to 2007. However, as minister of national security, Phillips was regarded as a capable administrator of the ministry and as a friend to the United States on crime and security matters.)

Critical Need to continue to support Commissioner Lewin

7. (C) Phillips confirmed Lewin's recounting of the events that led to his disturbing June 3 resignation letter to the Police Service Commission. (Ref C, D) He stated that it was critical for the United States and its international partners (UK, Canada) to express in the clearest terms to the prime minister and current minister of national security our belief that Commissioner Lewin is an integral partner and that if Lewin absents himself from the JCF, our support will recede. Phillips also pressed the NAS director to convey his opinion that the US must support, with funds and "boots on the ground", hard measures to identify, and prosecute, corrupt public officials, particularly high-level police officers.