Member of Parliament for East Rural St. Andrew Juliet Holness in clarifying her statement on politically marginal settlements, noted that she was casting the blame on poor leadership as the reason why some Jamaicans live in unfavourable conditions.

Mrs. Holness has come under fire for a particular comment she made at a Jamaica Labour Party divisional meeting on Sunday.

She told JLP supporters that anywhere that is a garbage dump, Comrades or supporters of the PNP were living there.

She says that these settlements were part of the uncomfortable truth resulting from poor leadership.

The East Rural St. Andrew MP says during her tour of her constituency, there was evidence of many politically marginal settlements that were unfavourable.

She notes that these were deliberately populated to gain votes.

Mrs. Holness says the approach to providing housing today should be respectable.

Meanwhile Leader of the People’s National Party, Mark Golding says MP Juliet Holness is trying to deflect attention from the Government’s recent depredations against the people.

In a twitter post Golding notes that the problem of vulnerable Jamaicans living in places where they’re exposed to environmental dangers, is not limited to supporters of any political party. 

And Opposition Spokesperson on Land and Housing, Senator Sophia Frazer Binns, is calling on MP Holness to retract her statement.

Senator Frazer Binns says those comments are divisive, contentious and irresponsible. 

MP Holness has since justified her statements, noting that her intention is not to secure votes, but for further development to benefit the people.