I'm equal to the task - Tufton

Dr Christopher Tufton says that he is well aware that the individual who serves as the next prime minister and leader of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) will have to make some tough decisions, but asserts that he is equal to the task.

Tufton, viewed as one of the three front-runners in the JLP leadership race, acknowledged that the person who replaces outgoing Prime Minister Bruce Golding is likely to be confronted with a mountain of tough governance and party issues.

"You are asking me if I shy away from tough decisions that will at times generate some controversy and I will tell you no," declares Tufton in an interview with The Sunday Gleaner. "I will tell you that this is an important feature of any leader," he adds.

"You are going to have to call it as you see it, respect the rights of all concerned, give them a fair hearing but ultimately a decision will have to be made," Tufton stresses.

He asserts that he subscribed to the principle of the greater good. "I always allow that to drive my decisions while at the same time taking whatever steps are necessary to protect the vulnerable and the disadvantaged," says Tufton. "That to me is an important principle and that does generate controversy at times and it is just about how you manage it.

"I don't shy away from that and I think decisions will have to be made as it relates to how you build and maintain an orderly society," said the man who has been a senior government minister for the past four years and a deputy leader of the party for 10 months.

Although he is relatively young, Tufton insisted that he was not daunted by the weight of leadership. "If you look around the world today, the issue of age is not so much the substantial issue, it is the issue of offering a kind of leadership that is all-inclusive and that can address the challenges that we face," he argues.

He emphasises that Jamaica was not a closed society. "It is a network, very close society that is significantly influenced by factors external to us and therefore what you require is someone who is willing and able to define a role for the country in the context of a global community," he adds.

gary.spaulding@gleanerjm.com