Prime Minister Andrew Holness has welcomed a call by the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) for respect and civility among Jamaican leadership, following recent outbursts involving some of the country’s political leaders.

The prime minster, who was speaking at a quarterly press conference on Thursday, August 3, said that leaders have a duty and obligation to ensure that the national debate is elevated.

“I welcome the call for greater civility, I have been on record, particularly in the 2020 campaign, I have made civility a campaign issue and I think we all have to agree that there has been a debasing of the national discourse, to the point where you could say it is uncivil and leaders have a duty to ensure that they elevate the debate regardless of whatever political opportunism that may see,” Holness implored.

In a statement on Tuesday, August 1, the PSOJ condemned comments made by People’s National Party (PNP) General Secretary Dayton Campbell at a political conference about Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport Daryl Vaz, in which he described the minister as ‘being disgraceful’.

The PSOJ also condemned PNP President Mark Golding for failing to address the behaviour of Campbell.

“We have consistently urged our political leaders to elevate their standards of behaviour and speech in the political arena. It is unacceptable to witness leaders engaging in a conduct that undermines respect and decency. Dayton Campbell’s display of vulgarity on the political stage is reprehensible and sets a troubling example for our society,” the PSOJ charged.

The organisation also called on the country’s leaders to refrain from politicising the recent extension of the retirement age of the director of public prosecutions and the auditor general.

It said that the Constitution mandates that the two offices are free from political interference and impediment, therefore, matters handled by both offices are required to be handled with due process and impartiality.