THE EDITOR, Sir:

Retreat! Retreat! For the second time in less than three months, the Portia Simpson Miller-led Cabinet has retreated.

Given a massive mandate by the electorate in the general and local government elections, it now seems that the Government, in the face of the economic crisis, has no clear idea as to the way forward.

The Government has failed to deliver, and so the Cabinet has had to retreat.

Retreats, in any form of war/confrontation, can be good, as rushing ahead can be dangerous. With the Jamaican dollar under pressure and the net international reserves declining rapidly, plus failure to arrive at an International Monetary Fund agreement, the Cabinet has had to retreat to relative safety.

Simpson Miller and her ministers cannot, however, retreat forever; at some point they will have to, like the rest of us, come out and face the harsh economic music. They said they would lead us, but they have retreated in their fleet of new SUVs to places where they can escape the questions and probing.

While the retreats continue, the economic crisis is advancing, and soon the Government will be overwhelmed. When the ministers can retreat no more, they must do the next honourable thing to keep us all from being destroyed. They must SURRENDER before it's too late to regroup. Surrender unconditionally.

HOWARD HAMILTON

how_hamil@yahoo.com

Portmore Pines