Anthony Anderson defends reconstruction authority appointment as Portmore boundary changes advance

Retired Major General Anthony Anderson has pushed back against criticism of his appointment as chief executive officer of the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority, saying the agency’s work is too important to be derailed by public speculation. Anderson, who took up the post on June 1, said he applied after the role was advertised and went through an interview process.

In his first interview since assuming office, Anderson rejected suggestions that he was specially selected for the job or politically favoured. He said high-profile public roles often attract criticism, but argued that the priority must be building out the new authority and putting systems in place to manage its programme of projects. He pointed to his experience in the Jamaica Defence Force engineer regiment, including hurricane response work and construction-related projects, as part of his preparation for the role.

The newscast also reported that Young Jamaica, the Jamaica Labour Party’s youth arm, is pressing Opposition Leader and People’s National Party President Mark Golding for an explanation about the delay in certification of his 2024 statutory declarations by the Integrity Commission.

Pressure also continued on Firearm Licensing Authority CEO Shane Darling after an Integrity Commission report raised governance and accountability concerns at the agency. The PNP youth organisation joined calls for Darling to step aside and urged National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang to order an independent probe.

Separately, Electoral Commission of Jamaica officials said Portmore’s transition to parish status will require constitutional and electoral boundary adjustments. Director of Elections Glasspole Brown said consultations have begun and recommendations are expected to go to Parliament’s boundaries committee by 2027.