Opposition Leader, however, ‘not bothered’ by OPM appointment

While Floyd Green marked his triumphant return to Prime Minister Andrew Holness’ Cabinet on Tuesday (January 11), Opposition Leader Mark Golding feels his appointment was premature.

Golding, speaking at a People’s National Party (PNP) press conference earlier today, admitted it is not his position to dictate to the sitting Government who should/shouldn’t be a part of the Cabinet.

He argued, however, that amid ongoing investigations, the decision could have been postponed until the end of the probe.

“Well, I think that it is probably premature to have Mr Green return to Government. But having said that, as a young man and as a man with some talent, I think redemption is to be encouraged. So I’m not going to make a big deal of that issue,” Golding said.

“Ideally, the question of what happened on the night or the occasion which led to his being forced to resign—the investigation of that ought really to have been ramped up [by now] and chips ought to have fallen where they lay,” Golding.

While not hinting at Green’s political appeal, Golding cautiously noted that his return to “active duty” was “inevitable”.

A day after marking his 40th birthday, Green was sworn in to become one of six ministers without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) on Tuesday.

The open-arms welcome from the Holness Administration comes 118 days since he tendered his resignation as Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries on September 15, 2021.

Then, faced with growing backlash over Green’s alleged involvement in a mockery of lockdown measures, the South West St Elizabeth Member of Parliament stepped aside after offering an apology to an outraged Jamaican public.

• READ: Resigned Cabinet minister Floyd Green apologises for mocking no movement day

Many supporters of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) have clamoured for Green to return to the fold of Cabinet ministers, with Holness himself acknowledging the Government still had some use for his services.

Holness, in a terse September 15 statement on Twitter, after meeting with Green and coming to an agreement that he could not continue in the Cabinet, said there were “other areas” where his expertise can be utilised.