‘ZOSO an ambitious tool’, says Holness
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Prime Minister Andrew Holness, in his address to Parliament this afternoon, said the zones of special operations (ZOSO) is only one in a suite of measures to address Jamaica’s security issues.
The prime minister admitted that while the legislation is not perfect, it is a well-considered and well implemented plan that is designed to preserve the right to life of every Jamaican.
“At this juncture, we are seeing that we may have to make some adjustment and amendments but we will allow it to operate it for a year as agreed, or two years, and as the evidence and our experience builds we will tweak [the legislation],” Holness stated.
“The processes that support the legislation have not been without challenges either. This security measure is an ambitious tool, I’m the first to say that, but it has never been in my character to do anything that is unambitious,” Holness asserted, which was met with the usual banging of tables to signal agreement in Parliament.
Reflecting on initial concerns about wanton abuse of human rights in the operational plan, Holness insisted that the law can be upheld without it being broken and pointed out that so far, there has been no breach of citizens’ human rights.
“I am not standing here in Parliament bragging about that, the point I am making is that Jamaicans have the capacity to pursue what is right, without doing what is wrong. If nothing else, this is a proof of concept that we can fight crime and fight the criminals without killing innocent people,” Holness insisted.
“Jamaica’s greatest asset is her people, and the tool of the people is intellectual power”.
The ZOSO bill was legislated and passed in Parliament in March of this year and the first zone — Mount Salem in St James — was announced on September 1. It is expected to last for 60 days.
So far, five guns have been found and two men arrested in the operation.