Golding slams Holness over dismissal of Opposition’s role
Published:Tuesday | June 17, 2025 | 12:05 AMSashana Small/Staff Reporter
People’s National Party (PNP) President Mark Golding has strongly rejected Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness’s recent claim that the Government does not need an Opposition to remain accountable, asserting instead that supporters of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) are sufficient for oversight.
In a blunt response, Golding dismissed Holness’s assertion as a “nonsense argument”, which, he said, reflects the prime minister’s ongoing misunderstanding of Jamaica’s democratic governance system.
“It’s just another example of his failure to understand the democratic system of governance in the country and the role of the parliamentary Opposition in holding the Government accountable,” he told The Gleaner.
The Opposition leader’s position is a constitutional appointment.
Section 80 of the Jamaican Constitution states that the leader of the Opposition is appointed by the governor general by instrument under the Broad Seal. It also details the roles and functions of the Opposition, including acting as a check on the Government’s power, contributing to bipartisan governance through key appointments and legislative amendments, and presenting alternative perspectives in Parliament.
Stating that the role of the Opposition is “absolutely vital in keeping Government accountable”, Golding highlighted ways in which this has been shown.
“Were it not for the Opposition, the NIDS legislation would have passed in its original form, which was a violation of the rights of the people. States of emergency would have continued to be used in the way that they were, like confetti, and without the desired effect. It’s because we put an end to that, that we are seeing the benefits of proper policing strategy,” Golding said.
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICS
At a party meeting honouring workers in Hanover Eastern on Sunday, the prime minister argued that JLP supporters are the administration’s most “constructive critics”, unlike some followers of the PNP, who, he suggested, are not informed.
“We nuh really need an Opposition because our supporters hold us to account. In fact, our supporters are our staunchest constructive critics,” Holness said.
He added: “The Jamaica Labour Party workers are not fanatics; they don’t believe in following blindly.”
He further contrasted JLP supporters with some “exuberant and loud” PNP supporters, who were unable to articulate why they were at a recent PNP protest in Kingston.
“That is not this party (JLP),” Holness said. “We come here to enlighten, we come here to give you knowledge, we come here to empower, we see you as the candles that will go back into the community and light the way for the members of your community,” he said.
Golding, who was speaking at the campaign launch for Dennis Gordon in St Andrew East Central on Sunday, also urged Jamaicans to resist what he described as a dismantling of democracy by the current administration.
He argued that a future PNP government would prioritise strengthening institutions of accountability, rather than weakening them.
He noted that the Integrity Commission Act, which established Jamaica’s premier anti-corruption agency, the Integrity Commission, was first introduced in Parliament during his tenure as justice minister under the Portia Simpson Miller administration, prior to its dissolution in 2016.
Accusing the current Government of trying to undermine the Integrity Commission, Golding said, “I am fully committed to ensuring its independence and that it has the tools it needs to hold people accountable … people who receive resources from the public purse and are responsible for delivering services and goods with those resources.”