Dabdoub

Prime Minister Bruce Golding has expressed disappointment with the latest developments in the dual-citizenship controversy and is laying the blame at the feet of attorney-at-law and former People's National Party (PNP) candidate Abe Dabdoub.

However, the usually vocal Dabdoub has refused to accept responsibility and is urging Golding, leader of the Jamaica Labour (JLP), to allow the law to take its course.

Golding was responding to the decision by Supreme Court Justice Lloyd Hibbert, that the JLP's Michael Stern should vacate the North West Clarendon seat and that a ruling is to be handed down next month on whether the seat should be awarded to the PNP's Richard Azan. It had been reported previously that the ruling would be handed down in September, but Hibbert said yesterday it would be delivered in August.

According to Golding, the JLP had discussions with the PNP and it was agreed that the two parties would not waste the time of the court and that Stern would vacate the seat with the expectation that the court would order a by-election.

Golding claimed both parties were of the view that they would not waste the time and money to contest a by-election.

"The understanding was that we wouldn't bother to have a contested election. Where it involved a JLP member of parliament he would not be opposed, and where it involved a PNP member of parliament we would not put up a candidate," Golding claimed.

He said he was surprised on Monday when he received word that Azan's lawyer was trying to get the court to hand the defeated PNP candidate the seat.

Instructions

Golding said that, when he checked, he was told that Dabdoub had said "he did not take instructions from the PNP but from his client".

Obviously stung by the apparent about-face, Golding said he summoned the JLP lawyers and instructed them to file motions against the sitting PNP members of parliament, Ian Hayles and Sharon Hay-Webster, who allegedly had dual citizenship when they were nominated to contest the 2007 general election.

Golding said he was not blaming the leadership of the PNP for the change and that he would continue dialogue with the Portia Simpson Miller-led party.

"I think the problem is that the PNP is dealing with someone who has been at the helm of these legal initiatives, over whom they have no control," Golding argued.

Yesterday, however, Dabdoub rubbished the prime minister's claim.

"I have had no discussion with Mr Golding or anybody. I had a conference call with attorney-at-law Kirk Anderson, who represents Stern, and attorneys-at-law Christopher Bovell and John Vassell, and I made it very clear that I was not abandoning the claim for the seat," Dabdoub told The Gleaner.

He said he had no discussion with the PNP and the party gave him no instructions.

"The JLP is talking nonsense because the law needs to take its course, whatever the course may be," Dabdoub said.

"As far as I am concerned, all these protestations that the JLP are making are a flagrant attempt to influence the judiciary, much in the same way as Mr Golding's threat of a general election if I were awarded the (West Portland) seat."

He added: "That attempt was an attempt to influence the judiciary and the JLP would be best advised to await the outcome of the judgment and abide by the rule of law."

arthur.hall@gleanerjm.com