The JLP Blasts PNP for ‘Barefaced Hypocrisy’ in Dr. Dixon Case
Jamaica Live News Desk– | Oct 3, 2025
The political debate surrounding the suspension of Dr. Aujae Dixon from the Southern Regional Health Authority (SRHA) has intensified, with Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) representative Marlon Morgan accusing the People’s National Party (PNP) of “barefaced hypocrisy” and selective outrage.
Dixon was interdicted following his participation in the September 3 general elections, with the SRHA citing breaches of the Public Service Staff Order 4.2.6(1), which prohibits public servants from engaging in partisan political activity.
Dixon, a Jamaican medical doctor, was suspended from his duties after contesting the September 3, 2025 general election as the People’s National Party (PNP) candidate for North Central Clarendon, where he lost to the incumbent Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) representative, Robert Morgan. The Southern Regional Health Authority (SRHA) placed Dixon on interdiction, citing a breach of Public Service Staff Order 4.2.6(1), which prohibits public servants from engaging in partisan political activity while employed. At the time of his candidacy, Dixon was still a public servant working at May Pen Hospital, and under the rules, he was required to resign before running for political office.
On Wednesday, PNP spokesperson on Justice, Zulieka Jess, condemned the suspension, calling it an attack on Dixon’s constitutional rights to free expression and association, and described the move as “undermining civic participation.”
But according to Morgan, the PNP’s position is nothing more than political convenience.
PNP’s Selective Outrage
Morgan reminded Jamaicans that this is not the first time the PNP has taken positions that directly contradict their current stance:
- In 2018, with PNP issued no objection to a public demanded for the resignation of OPM Director of Communication Robert Morgan after he announced intention to enter representational politics.
- Councillor Dean Jones status as councillor was revoked by a Court after the PNP took him to Court arguing he was a public sector worker at the time of his election.
- 2020 – Then General Secretary Julian Robinson wrote to the Political Ombudsman seeking sanctions against Rhoda Moy Crawford after she announced her intention to enter representational politics while still on a HEART/NSTA Trust contract.
- In 2025, a PNP affiliate group sought to have Marlon Morgan sanctioned under the same rule applied to Dixon after falsely alleging that Morgan was a member of the public service while engaging in political activism.
Morgan said these examples highlight a pattern of the PNP weaponizing the same Staff Orders against Labour Party members in the past, only to now cry foul when a case involves one of their own.
“No One Is Above the Rules”
Morgan also pointed out that in 2024, one year before the 2025 General Elections, the Ministry of Health issued a public advisory reminding all public sector workers of the rules prohibiting political activism.
“It is clear Dixon felt he was above the rules which are applicable to all public servants,” Morgan argued. “The same standards must apply to everyone, regardless of party affiliation.”
Call for Constitutional Reform
Despite his criticism, Morgan said this controversy provides the perfect moment for sober discussion on reforming Jamaica’s constitutional and public service framework.
“This is an opportune moment for the PNP to embrace the Constitutional Reform Committee,” he said. “It can provide a forum for forward-looking dialogue on whether certain categories of public sector workers—such as doctors, nurses, or other professionals—should be allowed to participate openly in politics, similar to how teachers are permitted.”
Morgan insisted that any debate must be grounded in principle and not political convenience, stressing that the PNP cannot be trusted to lead with consistency on the matter.