KINGSTON – One week after the uprising in the constituency of West Kingston that led to the deaths of more than 70 people in Tivoli Gardens, Member of Parliament Prime Minister Bruce Golding ventured into the troubled area for the first time on Wednesday.
However, following the tour, the counsellor for West Kingston, Desmond McKenzie, who is also the mayor of Kingston, told journalists that Golding was not welcomed by all of his constituents.
“Some people were glad to see him. As usual, we wouldn’t expect everybody to be happy but the fact that he was there and he has heard the concerns of the people, this is now just the start to deal with the situation,” said McKenzie.
He said some residents openly chided Golding for not giving them more support during the bloody incidents that were sparked by an extradition order issued against reputed Tivoli gangster Christopher “Dudus” Coke. They said that Golding, who gave the authority for the declaration of a state of emergency after area gunmen loyal to Coke engaged the security forces, had let them down.
A ban was placed on the media with only the Jamaica Information Service allowed to go on the tour.
A news release from the Office of the Prime Minister on Wednesday said Golding spoke with several residents, some of whom had lost relatives in the confrontation. Some complained that their homes had been gutted or badly damaged.
“All the residents who spoke with Mr Golding relived for him the horror of the events . . . .
“The prime minister advised them to give reports of their experience to the public defender, who has opened a special office in Tivoli Gardens for that purpose,” the Office of the Prime Minister said. (CMC)
