The People’s National Party (PNP) says it strongly condemns the reckless and irresponsible statements made by Minister Daryl Vaz at a Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) meeting Sunday, following gunshots heard within the premises of a JLP gathering in Central Kingston.

Vaz’s attempt to prematurely attribute political motives to the incident, without any such confirmation from law enforcement, is both dangerous and irresponsible, the PNP said, indicating that the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) has reported that this was not a politically motivated incident.

Vaz’s attempt to prematurely suggest political motives for the incident, without any confirmation from law enforcement, is both dangerous and irresponsible, the PNP said, noting that the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) has reported that this was not a politically motivated incident.

“For a senior government minister to cast such aspersions without evidence is not only inflammatory, but could incite political reprisals and further destabilise already vulnerable communities,” Campbell said.

In light of these serious concerns, the People’s National Party revealed in a statement that they have officially reported Minister Vaz to the Office of the Political Ombudsman. “His comments represent a breach of the expected standards of political conduct and undermine the principles of peace, fairness, and responsibility that must guide political discourse, particularly during sensitive times,” the PNP said.

The party further called on Vaz to retract his statement while urging political leaders to be more cautious in their speeches. “We call on Minister Vaz to conduct some introspection with respect to his repeated throat-slashing gestures on political platforms, and to immediately retract his comments regarding Central Kingston, and we further urge all political leaders to exercise greater caution and integrity in their public statements,” the PNP added while sharing that they are committed to the peaceful conduct of politics in Jamaica and will continue to work with all stakeholders to protect democracy from fearmongering and division.