We are now within days of the next general election, and two weeks ago the People’s National Party (PNP) publicly called on Opposition Leader Andrew Holness to explain how he came to acquire a multimillion-dollar asset well above his MP’s salary by answering a series of questions.

The questions were relevant since tax receipts make Holness the primary breadwinner in his household, and public discussion has been inundated by questions about Holness’s source(s) of funds.

His answers are necessary because his public position places a duty on him to protect the integrity of Jamaica’s Parliament, and hence its parliamentarians, and this requires leading by example.

The answers to these questions are just as important as hosting national debates and a necessary part of the national agenda, given Holness’s current position and his desires after the 25th of this month.

Holness purported to provide answers to the questions raised by the PNP regarding the acquisition of land in Beverly Hills and the eventual construction of his multimillion-dollar home.

However, the leader of the Opposition should provide more than a public relations cover letter about his financial dealings, and the public should still be insisting that Holness reveals everything.

The JLP leader gave bare details about the source of funds used to acquire the land in 2011.

Some Jamaicans are alarmed that Holness would want them to believe that he has spent just over $50 million to prepare and landscape his land to construct his Beverly Hills mansion.

Others want to know how Holness accumulated his wealth, and that has nothing to do with being ‘grudgeful’ nor ‘bad mind’.

Holness’s attorney publicly stated that four cheques were used to purchase the US$300,000 Beverly Hills land, but has not stated the source of funds nor who controls the account(s).

The leader of the Opposition must not only answer the questions raised, but provide verifiable proof. The Jamaican people deserve better from someone who aspires to lead them.

orrettmontague@gmail.com