Shift in policy

THE Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) on Wednesday flayed the Government for its decision to abstain from voting on the United Nations resolution calling for an end to the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States against Cuba, insisting that the Administration’s sudden shift in policy was an “inconsistency” which has left Jamaicans in the dark. The outcry followed on indications by Foreign Affairs Minister Senator Kamina Johnson Smith during Wednesday’s post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House in St Andrew that the island was one of 25 countries that abstained on the resolution on the Cuban embargo, entitled the ‘Necessity of Ending the Economic, Commercial and Financial Embargo’, imposed by the United States against Cuba, when the vote was taken in the UN General Assembly.

Johnson Smith, who admitted that the decision was “a shift in policy”, said, “We did not vote ‘against’ because we do not support unilateral actions in accordance with the UN Charter, and we did not vote ‘for’ because it is clear that continuing to do the same thing each year to support the resolution simpliciter with no improvement in the circumstances is but in fact a deepening of the humanitarian crisis and suffering. This does not serve the benefit of the Cuban people. ” She further said the position taken is also consistent with the country’s broader perspective on multilateralism as stated in the national policy statement. “We cannot simply continue to defend it and do the same things and believe that in a changing world it will somehow magically manifest Agenda 2030 and the systems be deemed to be fully effective. We believe that the systems need reform, and this requires us to act differently,” she said adding that an explanation of vote was also…