Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) manifesto inadequate - Environmental group

Published in the Jamaica Gleaner: Friday | August 10, 2007

THE JAMAICA Environmental Advocacy Network (JEAN), an umbrella organisation for several environmental groups, has suggested there are several deficiencies within the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) manifesto as it relates to proposed plans for the environment.

While commending the JLP for putting forward ideas to deal with some critical issues, JEAN said this week that the party "does not demonstrate a thorough under-standing of the environmental issues facing Jamaica or grapple with the cross-cutting nature of the issues".

In a release, JEAN expressed delight at the plans to have improved governance and accountability in dealing with the environment as well as the plan to declare the Cockpit Country a no-mining zone. However, for the environmental groups in this network, more questions than answers were provided by the manifesto.

According to Peter Espeut, executive director of Caribbean Coastal Area Management (CCAM) Foundation, a non-govern-mental organisation under JEAN, one of the most critical issues left out of the manifesto is the plight of Jamaica's protected areas. He said the JLP is silent about protected areas and measures to safeguard endangered species.

He told The Gleaner that this silence renders the manifesto "inadequate". Another major concern for Mr. Espeut was that no mention was made about environmental law enforcement strategies.

"You could never discuss the environment without discussing how to enforce environmental laws," he said.

JEAN is also questioning the plan by the JLP to introduce a 'stand alone' national environmental authority. It would like this to be clarified and asked: "How will this differ from the present manifestly ineffective National Environment and Planning Agency?"

The members say what they would agree to is the detachment of the environmental ministry from every other ministry because this would reduce the 'conflict of interest' that currently exists with this ministry being joined with other ministries.

"There is nothing that environment can be combined with without a conflict," said Mr. Espeut.

In the end, Mr. Espeut said the means by which the proposed plans will be achieved should be stated.

"In a manifesto, you must not only state your goals, but your strategies to achieve your goals."