Political violence claims two in North Central St Andrew

Published in the Jamaica Gleaner: Sunday | July 29, 2007

Infant battles for life in hospital; JLP blames ruling party thugs

While the stand-off about peace talks between the leadership of the People's National Party (PNP) and rival Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) continues, two persons, alleged supporters of the JLP, were murdered on the weekend.

"What is emerging here, obviously, is that the People's National Party are out of control ... ," Karl Samuda, general secretary of the JLP, told The Sunday Gleaner yesterday, following the murder of the alleged supporters at their home in Park Lane in North Central St. Andrew, while their 11-month-old daughter was battling for life in hospital up to news time yesterday. The couple has been identified as 29-year-old Camille Elizabeth Bailey and 36-year-old Clive Baker.

Gunmen enter home

According to the police, about 2:30 yesterday morning, Bailey and Baker were at home with their child when several gunmen entered the house and opened fire. The police were called and the injured couple and their daughter were taken to hospital where Bailey and Baker were pronounced dead.

"What really needs to happen is the mature leadership of the People's National Party needs to step up and control the situation, and not allow it to deteriorate and wheel out of control," Samuda warned.

But PNP general secretary Donald Buchanan says his party knows nothing of the murders.

"If we have any evidence of that - and we know no one - then we would turn over such persons to the police, but we know of no such persons," he told The Sunday Gleaner.

Meanwhile, the Peace Management Initiative (PMI) is bemoaning the present political upheavals that have already claimed several lives in Corporate-Area constituencies.

"I think the tone at the national level still needs to be held firmly by the political leaders, but the solutions also need to be worked out at the local level," says PMI vice-chairman, Donna Parchment.