‘I’m sorry, Don’
MONTEG BAY, St James – Luther Buchanan, the opposition People’s National Party (PNP’s) Member of Parliament for Eastern Westmoreland will today apologise publicly to the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) caretaker Don Foote for tearing his shirt in a fracas during the 2007 election campaign.
The apology will be tendered at a joint public meeting — to be attended by Foote and Buchanan as well as party supporters — at the Whitehouse community centre in the constituency.
Reverend Canon Hartley Perrin will chair the function which will also have in attendance members of the hierarchy of both political parties.
The much anticipated apology will come almost 20 months after an agreement was arrived at between Foote, who is an attorney and the MP during a mediation session at the Savanna-la-Mar Police station Mediation Centre.
Reports are than on August 29, 2007 Foote along with supporters of the JLP where campaigning in Gordon when they were allegedly confronted by PNP supporters.
A fracas ensued and Buchanan, who was reportedly among the group of PNP supporters, allegedly held on to Foote’s shirt and tore it.
The matter was reported to the Whitehouse Police Station and after weeks of investigation, Buchanan was slapped with a charge of malicious destruction of property.
After several hearings in the Savanna-la-Mar Resident Magistrate’s Court, the matter was referred to the Dispute Resolution Foundation for mediation.
Foote told the Observer West yesterday that he was pleased that Buchannan has finally seen it fit to apologise for what he described as “the unfortunate incident.”
” I am pleased that he will now apologise publicly,” Foote said.
“It is timely ……now we will be able to put it behind us and move forward. Now that we are on the eve of an election it will send a message to our supporters that we want the campaign to be a model one,” said Foote.
When contacted yesterday Buchanan who defeated Foote by more that 3,000 votes in the 2007 general election declined to comment on the matter.
“I have no comment on the issue……. all you need to do is to come there tomorrow (today),” he told the Observer West.
The constituency of Eastern Westmoreland is said to be a safe PNP seat. It was represented by former prime minister PJ Patterson between 1997 and 2006.
Buchanan who is also a PNP deputy general secretary in charge of field operations, has been the elected representative since Patterson’s resignation from politics in 2006.
Foote who has lost the seat on three occasions will again try to wrest the constituency from Buchanan in the upcoming election.