JAMAICA | PNP says social media post by JLP MP is “Dangerous, Malicious and Reckless!”

St. Thomas, Jamaica, August 25, 2022: The People’s National Party Constituency Chairman for Eastern St Thomas, Rose-Marie Shaw, is condemning Facebook comments made by JLP MP Dr. Michelle Charles as political incitement and fearmongering.

Residents staged a demonstration and roadblock along the Morant Bay to Dumfries Main Road on August 24, 2022, and Instead of respecting and responding appropriately to the people’s right to express their disapproval peacefully, MP Charles used the Facebook platform to berate residents.

“Without evidence, MP Charles ascribed political motive to the demonstration, ostensibly shirking her responsibility to deliver quality representation to the residents of Eastern St Thomas” said Rose-marie Shaw.

According to a media release from  the PNP, in what is a continuation of her old style of politics, Dr. Charles posted the following on Facebook, “Birdie say, true dem have conference dis weekend and them nuh get no money from the contractor dem block de road”.

In cautioning political officials not to use social media to cause mischief, Rose-Marie Shaw said, “The statement made by the Member of Parliament was reckless, malicious and a cheap political jab”. She added that’ “whilst this is the usual tribal conduct of the Member of Parliament regarding local governance, such statements are beneath the high office she holds, and should not be tolerated.”

Ms. Shaw highlighted that “Dr. Charles is a missing in action MP who is never available to represent the local issues of the people of Eastern St. Thomas. As a result, she is now blaming the PNP for the unrest with motorists and scores of other civic groupings who have registered their disgust with the state of the roadways in the parish by staging a peaceful demonstration.

Ms. Rose-Marie Shaw is appealing to the leadership of the JLP to demand a retraction of the Facebook post by MP Dr. Michelle Charles as it is an insult to the people of Eastern St. Thomas, who have taken matters into their own hands due to a lack of representation from an absent Member of Parliament.

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