Bruce Golding

“I won't be distracted by the extradition issue anymore,” the prime minister told Jamaica Labor Party (JLP) supporters at a conference in Montego Bay on Sunday.

Golding said the criticisms were not focused on his performance with the economy or his administration’s aggressive push to fight crime. “Instead, they want to know about extradition and Manatt, Phelps and Phillips,” he said in reference to his confession in parliament that he approved the hiring of the U.S. law firm to deal with treaty matters between Jamaica and the U.S., which runs counter to his previous statements.

Golding added, “But let me make one thing clear, they could issue statements until... and the columnists write their columns and the editors will write their editorials, I am not allowing anything to distract me anymore from the work that I will have to do.”

The Opposition People’s National Party has been keeping alive the unresolved Manatt, Phelps and Phillips affair, which has become a political thorn in Golding’s side. Opposition spokesman, Peter Phillips is pushing for a commission of inquiry to get answers about who contracted and paid the U.S. law firm for its lobbying services.

However, Golding on Sunday referring to calls for his resignation from several organizations said he was “only accountable to the Jamaican people.”

The U.S. requested the extradition of Coke, who was accused of drug and gun trafficking in the U.S., since August 2009. The Golding administration delayed the signing of the request for 10 months, which strained Kingston/Washington relations.

Following immense public pressure and calls for his resignation, Golding relented and signed the extradition order in May.

The warrant for Coke’s sparked a lockdown of Tivoli Gardens, Coke’s community, hindering efforts by security forces to reach the accused drug lord. In the end, over 70 persons were killed in gun battle in west Kingston.

Coke was finally apprehended on June 22 and flown to New York, where he is awaiting trial in lockup.