Jamaican Prime Minister P.J. Patterson and opposition leader Mr Edward Seaga agreed today to work on fighting inner-city crime, five weeks after 25 people died in gunfights between residents and security forces in Kingston's slums.
After a three-hour meeting both leaders agreed to formalize a national strategy in the fight against crime and violence, blamed on clashes between rival political factions, criminal gangs and Jamaican police and soldiers, Mr Patterson's press secretary said.
The talks between Mr Patterson, head of the ruling People's National Party whose popularity has nose-dived, and Mr Seaga, a former prime minister who leads the opposition Jamaica Labour Party, focused on crime, political tribalism and economic development.
On the West Kingston disturbances, Mr Patterson has agreed to play a more active role in trying to restore peace.
A task force has also been set up, comprising primarily ministers and opposition spokesmen, as well as members of civic society to look into ways of reducing crime and violence in the society, he said.
Analysts blame much of Jamaica's inner city violence on gangs armed by the PNP and JLP in the early 1970s. The gangs created garrison communities of supporters fiercely loyal to their party patrons and ultimately branched out into drug and arms trafficking and other criminal activity.