Former Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Deputy Leader and Gender Affairs Minister, Olivia Grange on Monday called on People’s National Party President Mark Golding to immediately fire Chairman of the PNP Human Rights Commission, Isat Buchanan.
According to Grange, under the guise of quoting his client who’s incarcerated for murder, the Buchanan used “misogynistic, crude, nasty, sexist, low, and disgraceful language in reference to the country’s chief prosecutor”.
In a release a short while ago, the PNP said Buchanan last night indicated to Golding his intention to step down as chairman of the party’s Human Rights Commission following remarks made on a YouTube programme.
The PNP said Buchanan believes that resigning is in the party’s best interests, as the remarks in question do not reflect the values of the PNP.
“The Party accepts his resignation and expresses gratitude to Cde Isat for his service to the Commission and thanks him for his contributions,” the Opposition party said in the release.
Grange made the call Monday while speaking for the JLP Women’s Caucus:
We are mindful not to appear to politicise the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions or the holder thereof. However, right is right and wrong is wrong, and the truth of the matter is if the holder of any office in the PNP or anywhere directed that comment at any female, we’d have condemned it and insisted that action be taken against him.
Grange called on Golding to condemn Buchanan’s posture and is inviting the disciplinary committee of the General Legal Council to immediately probe Buchanan for breach of the canons of the profession.
She also said she is disappointed that an attorney and chairman of a body within the PNP could bring himself “to utter such insolent and vile comments” in reference to a woman.
The gender affairs minister said, too, that the comments represent a new low in the treatment of women by men in the PNP.
“It is Mr Golding’s own action to politicise the DPP that has created the environment for some men in leadership of the PNP to believe they can refer to this woman public servant using hateful, vile, harassing and bullying language. The comments have disrespected every woman in leadership across Jamaica and must be concerning to every well-thinking man in politics and in the wider society,” she added.
Grange is also inviting women in leadership, including PNP Chairman Dr Angela Brown Burke and the PNP Women’s Movement President Patricia Duncan Sutherland, to join her in condemning Buchanan’s inappropriate rhetoric against another woman in leadership, regardless of the tension that may exist between the Government and the Opposition on the matter.
Controversy is brewing over amendments to the constitution to move the age of retirement for the DPP, as well as the auditor general, from 60 to 65 years old.
Several groups, including the PNP, have called for the Government to rethink the amendments.
