WASHINGTON, DC – On Monday, September 29, Jamaica’s Prime Minister Hon. Bruce Golding was honored by the US Congress when he was presented with a proclamation by Congresswoman, Yvette Clarke.
The citation was presented to Prime Minister Golding at the town hall meeting at the Organisation of American States (OAS) Hall of Americas in downtown Washington D.C.
In presenting the citation, Congresswoman Clarke lauded the Prime Minister for his positive leadership of Jamaica at this challenging time. She noted that as Prime Minister he had in just one year, taken on the challenge of transforming Jamaica’s social order, creating opportunities and fulfilling the hopes of the Jamaican people against a background of a harsh global environment. Congresswomen Clarke told him that Jamaica and the Caribbean would always have a voice in Congress with her representation.
In accepting the award, Mr. Golding said he was honoured and humbled to receive such high recognition. He said Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, who is the daughter of a former New York Councillor, Una Clarke, was regarded as a true daughter of Jamaica despite being born in the US. ‘We claim you as one of ours’, Mr. Golding declared.
Mr Golding in his address to some 400 Jamaicans drawn from Baltimore, Virginia, and the Washington metropolitan area updated them on a number of issues including the government’s recovery programme after Tropical Storm Gustav. He called on the Jamaicans in the Diaspora to assist the country by making their contributions to the Gustav Recovery Fund. He spent some time updating the audience on government policies with special emphasis on the bills tabled before parliament to address the crime situation. He noted that there are several bills before Parliament to deal with the issue of crime. In addition, the Prime Minister told the audience that the conscience vote with regard to hanging would be considered in Parliament in October.
Mr Golding fielded a number of questions from the audience on education, the status of Air Jamaica, the status of the country’s debts, utility charges, and the justice reform programme.
The town hall meeting was chaired by Jamaica’s Ambassador to the US, H.E. Anthony Johnson while the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, Mrs. Patricia Sinclair-McCalla accompanied the prime Minister.
