PETER PHILLIPS NEVER LIKE PORTIA SIMPSON

Peter disliked Portia
WikiLeaks document says Phillips labelled Simpson Miller a ‘disaster’

JUST under a year after the People’s National Party (PNP) lost power to the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), Dr Peter Phillips agreed with a United States official that Jamaica risked becoming like Haiti if the Government failed in its reform efforts and if Portia Simpson Miller, whom he called a “disaster” for the country, was returned to power, according to a US diplomatic cable made public by WikiLeaks.

The cable, dated July 8, 2008, also said that when the US officer asked Phillips if he would ever serve in another Simpson Miller-led government, the former national security minister stated that he never says never, but his answer is “no; it would simply be too distasteful”.

Efforts to reach Phillips last night for a comment on the matter were unsuccessful.
Phillips mounted a challenge to Simpson Miller that same month, reopening wounds in the PNP that never fully healed after the 2006 presidential race in which she triumphed over Phillips, Dr Omar Davies and Dr Karl Blythe.

The party went into the 2007 general elections divided, a factor which was blamed for its loss after 18 years in power.
The US cable said that Phillips continued to “mull over whether to challenge Simpson Miller for control of the PNP during its party congress in September”, even as he acknowledged that a recent poll showing her as more popular than Prime Minister Bruce Golding hampered his (Phillips’s) ability to challenge her for the leadership.
“Phillips stated that it was an astonishing possibility that the PNP, after ‘running the country into the ground for the last eighteen years’, could possibly come back to power,” the cable said.
“According to Phillips, Simpson Miller, who was in a political ‘free fall’ after the PNP’s defeat in September 2007, has been energised by the most recent poll numbers,” the cable added.

According to the cable, the US official wrote that Phillips stated that he was thoroughly disappointed with the across-the-board “ineptness” of Golding’s government and placed the blame squarely at Golding’s feet for the results of the poll indicating that Simpson Miller had gained ground and was more popular than Golding.

The cable said that in the discussion between Phillips and the US official, which occurred on June 27, Phillips “was in a relaxed and talkative mode”, compared to when he was the national security minister, at which time he “could be quite guarded”.
The US official, the document said, had the opportunity to speak with Phillips about a broad range of topics, including his views on the seeming inability of the Government of Jamaica to make headway against spiralling violent crime.
According to the cable, when the US official asked Phillips’ opinion of an assessment of Jamaica’s future, which she (the US official) had heard from several prominent Jamaicans — that Jamaica sits at a precipice, and unless drastic measures are taken in short order then in five, maximum 10 years Jamaica could become the “English-speaking Haiti” — Phillips, “perhaps because he is now in Opposition… surprisingly not only did not reject this comparison, he agreed with it”.
Added the diplomatic note: “Phillips’s dislike of Simpson Miller, insistence that he would not serve in another government run by her, and harsh criticism of the PNP’s 18-year reign seem to smack a bit of convenient amnesia, as he served as minister without a portfolio, minister of special projects, minister of transport and works, minister of health, and minister of national security over successive PNP terms in power from 1993 to 2007. However, as minister of national security, Phillips was regarded as a capable administrator of the ministry and as a friend to the United States on crime and security matters.

Read more: https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/08KINGSTON617_a.html

Classified By: DCM James T. Heg, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

1. (C) Summary: In a recent conversation with the NAS
   Director, Jamaica’s former Minister of National Security and
   opposition People’s National Party (PNP) leader, Peter
   Phillips, agreed that there is danger that Jamaica could go
   the way of Haiti if the current government were to fail in
   its reform efforts and if Portia Simpson-Miller (Phillips’
   rival in the PNP) were returned to power. Phillips continues
   to mull over whether to challenge Simpson-Miller for control
   of the PNP during its Party Congress in September. Phillips
   also encouraged the USG to continue to push the GOJ on
   Anti-corruption and police reform. In particular, he advised
   us to vocally support the current Commissioner of Police,
   Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin. End Summary.

English Speaking Haiti

1. (C) On June 27, the NAS Director met with Jamaica’s former
   Minister of National Security, Peter Phillips, ostensibly to
   seek his advice on how the USG could best continue to support
   the current Commissioner of Police, Rear Admiral Hardley
   Lewin. Phillips, who when he was Minister could be quite
   guarded, was in a relaxed and talkative mode and the NAS
   Director had the opportunity to speak with him about a broad
   range of topics including his views on the seeming inability
   of the Government of Jamaica to make headway against
   spiraling violent crime. In the conversation the NAS
   Director asked Phillips’ opinion of an assessment of
   Jamaica’s future, which she had heard from several prominent
   Jamaicans — that Jamaica sits at a precipice, and unless
   drastic measures are taken in short order then in five,
   maximum ten years Jamaica could become “English-speaking
   Haiti.” Perhaps because he is now in Opposition,
   surprisingly Phillips not only did not reject this
   comparison, he agreed with it. (Ref A)

Prime Minster Golding’s Ineptness

1. (C) Phillips stated that he has been thoroughly
   disappointed with the across the board “ineptness” of Prime
   Minister Golding’s government. (Ref B) He places the blame
   squarely at Golding’s feet for the results of a recent poll
   indicating that, former Prime Minister, Portia
   Simpson-Miller, who Phillips called a “disaster” for the
   country, had gained ground and now was more popular than
   Golding. (Note: Simpson-Miller’s rise in the polls is
   inconvenient for Prime Minister Golding; it also hampers
   Phillips’ ability to challenge her for leadership of the PNP
   during this September’s party Congress.)
2. (C) Phillips stated that it was an astonishing possibility
   that the PNP after “running the country into the ground for
   the last eighteen years.” could possibly come back to power.
   According to Phillips, Simpson-Miller, who was in a political
   “free fall” after the PNP’s defeat in September 2007, has
   been energized by the most recent poll numbers. Phillips
   made no bones about his desire to challenge Simpson-Miller
   for leadership of the Party, but said that this new burst of
   popularity for the former Prime Minister was causing a rift
   among his supporters. He explained that there are elements
   within the PNP who are trying to convince Phillips to stay
   his hand, and given Prime Minister Golding’s slim margins in
   Parliament, mount a vote of no confidence and ride
   Simpson-Miller’s popularity back into power. This element
   within the PNP had told Phillips that they would then support
   a move by him to internally challenge Portia once the PNP was
   returned to power. He commented that they clearly were
   motivated more by a desire to get back into power, than by
   any real desire to serve the people of Jamaica.
3. (C) When asked by the NAS Director if he would ever serve
   in another Simpson-Miller-led government, Phillips stated
   that he “never says never, but his answer is no; it would
   simply be too distasteful.” (Comment: Prior to the
   aforementioned poll, all signs pointed to Phillips or his
   supporters leading a challenge against Simpson-Miller for
   leadership of the PNP in September 2008. Phillips now does
   not seem ready to do so given Simpson-Miller’s current
   greater focus and energy. Post’s other PNP sources confirm
   that the poll numbers have reinvigorated Simpson-Miller. Poll
   numbers just released on July 11, show that 48% believe that
   Simpson-Miller is doing only an “average” job as opposition
   leader, and 22% have a negative impression. Given that the
   PNP Congress is not until September, how this additional
   snapshot of public opinion may not tell us much about
   Phillips’ eventual decision to challenge Simpson-Miller
4. (C) Phillips further opined that a return of
   Simpson-Miller, and her troubled former Minister of
   Telecommunications, Mines and Energy, Philip Paulwell, would
   exacerbate the Haitianization of Jamaica and Jamaican
   Politics. (Comment: Phillips’ dislike of Simpson-Miller,
   insistence that he would not serve in another government run
   by her, and harsh criticism of the PNP’s eighteen year reign,
   seem to smack a bit of convenient amnesia, as he served as
   Minister Without a Portfolio, Minister of Special Projects,
   Minister of Transport and Works, Minister of Health, and
   Minister of National Security over successive PNP terms in
   power from 1993 to 2007. However, as Minister of National
   Security, Phillips was regarded as a capable administrator of
   the Ministry and as a friend to the United States on Crime
   and Security matters.)

Critical Need to continue to support Commissioner Lewin

1. (C) Phillips confirmed Lewin’s recounting of the events
   that lead to his disturbing June 3 resignation letter to the
   Police Services Commission. (Ref C, D) He stated that it was
   critical for the United States and its international partners
   (UK, Canada) to express in the clearest terms to the Prime
   Minister and current Minister of National Security our belief
   that Commissioner Lewin is an integral partner and that if
   Lewin absents himself from the JCF, our support will recede.
   Phillips also pressed the NAS Director to convey his opinion
   that the U.S. must support with funds and “boots on the
   ground” hard measures to identify, and prosecute, corrupt
   public officials, particularly high-level police officers.
2. (C) Phillips filled in his perspective on the purported
   strained relationship between Lewin and MacMillan, (Ref B) a
   story that the NAS Director has heard previously from other
   perhaps more objective sources. According to Philips,
   MacMillan left the Jamaica Defence Force in 1986 “under a
   cloud,” and the Chief of Staff at the time, Major General
   Neish, remained on the job longer to ensure that MacMillan
   would not be named to the top JDF job. According to
   Phillips, Lewin was not involved in MacMillan’s dismissal,
   but as Lewin rose in the ranks, eventually obtaining the
   position that MacMillan wanted, resentment built. Phillips
   also recounted that MacMillan was pushing for Lewin’s
   replacement by Assistant Commissioner of Police Owen
   Ellington, who was a protQgQ of MacMillan’s when he was
   Commissioner of Police from 1993 to 1996. Prime Minister
   Golding’s close relationship with MacMillan, in addition to
   Ellington’s own reputation as a capable and intelligent
   officer, perhaps helps to connect the dots as to why
   Ellington’s name, repeatedly, has been at the top of
   Golding’s short list for the job of Commissioner, despite
   purported linkages to criminal organizations. DAO Comment:
   MacMillan departed the JDF in 1986, and Neish was COS until
   1990, which seems a long time to remain in office, if it were
   only to keep MacMillan out of the position. DAO has doubts
   that MacMillan has worked to replace Commissioner Lewin.
3. (C) Comment: Phillips can be both incredibly brilliant and
   devious when it suits his purposes and his comments against
   MacMillan and Golding should to be taken in context. It is
   troubling, however, that he accepted without protest the
   notion of the “Haitinization” of Jamaica, something that most
   Jamaicans would dismiss as a highly insulting and unlikely
   comparison. Serious consideration needs to be given to
   providing additional focused assistance to Jamaica to bolster
   its capacity to prevent its continuing downward, economic,
   social, and criminal spiral. End Comment.

JOHNSON