Parliament on Tuesday gave warm-up instructions to the hangman, telling him through an overwhelming conscience vote that he was wanted back at work soon.

However, the Senate will have a say, by way of a similar vote, as to whether the death penalty should be retained.

Prime Minister Bruce Golding said Tuesday's decision, taken by elected members of the House of Representatives, might take precedence if the Senate votes to abolish the death penalty.

"I think a great deal of weight would have to be attached to what the 60 members of parliament said, because those were the persons who were elected by the people," Golding told journalists outside Gordon House shortly after the vote.

Provided that the Senate votes in a similar manner to the House, Golding has said he would move an amendment to the Constitution to remove the stricture which requires that the process of appeals through execution take place within five years of sentencing or a condemned inmate's sentence should be commuted.

The prime minister also said there were no international treaties or conventions that conflicted with the vote of MPs to retain capital punishment on its books.

Thirty-four members, including Golding, voted for the death penalty to remain on the law books, while 15 voted against. Ten MPs were absent. The House Speaker did not have a vote.

On the reverse question of whether MPs were in favour of the abolition of capital punishment, 36 MPs said no, while 15 voted to remove the death penalty. The additional votes came from two MPs who had entered the House during voting on the second motion.

Also in the news last week ...

JUTC mess

The contractor general has recommended that criminal charges be laid against the acting managing director of the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC), Bindley Sangster.

Greg Christie made the recommendation in a report on a special probe into the awarding of some contracts at the state-run bus company. The investigation was initiated after the June 27 murder of JUTC chairman, Douglas Chambers.

false statement

In the 104-page report tabled in the Senate on Friday, the contractor general said Sangster wilfully made a false statement to his office when he said the JUTC's finance committee approved contracts, with Simber Productions, that were awarded in February.

The contracts were for a JUTC SmartCard feature on the Susan Show, a JUTC commercial and a 'Ride and Win Summer Bling' advertisement.

Sangster was the chairman of the JUTC's finance committee at the time the contracts were awarded.

'Not in crisis'

Notwithstanding calls from some interests for the Government to formulate a rescue plan for the tourism and manufacturing industries, Finance Minister Audley Shaw has sought to calm fears, saying the Jamaican economy is "not in crisis".

In an address to the nation last Sunday evening, Shaw insisted that the regulatory systems were strong enough to cushion the impact of worldwide financial turmoil.

still strong

"We are not in panic mode. Our regulatory regime continues to be effective and our institutions remain strong," a confident Shaw told Jamaicans during the broadcast.

"The strength and resilience of our people come to the fore at times of greatest challenge. We are committed to the steady, resolute and inclusive leadership that the circumstances demand," he added.

Student patrols

The police were kept busy in downtown Kingston last week trying to round up students who were seemingly prepared to miss school for the day.

After more than an hour, the police held nine girls and a boy - dressed in uniform - from one high school, who were absconding.

Knives, ice picks and other weapons were seized by the cops, with one teenage girl charged with possession of offensive weapons.

Trail of the missing sand

An aspiring politician and a former member of parliament revealed publicly this week that thieves had also plundered sand from their beachfront properties in Trelawny.

Desmond Leaky, former People's National Party member of parliament, and Ras Astor Black both reported that between 40 and 50 loads of sand were taken from their properties during an operation by crooks that removed close to 500 loads from a neighbouring property owned by Felicitas Limited.

The Gleaner understands that several other properties were also plundered by the thieves.