Jamaicans in New York aren't ready to forgive their country's Prime Minister Bruce Golding for the "mess" in which their country finds itself over the "Dudus" Coke affair.

For more than four months, the Golding administration has declined to hand over Christopher "Dudus" Coke to the courts and to the United States to be flown to America and be tried as a drug king responsible for a string of violent actions. Dudus is considered the leader of Tivoli Gardens [a slum] in West Kingston, the constituency Golding represents in parliament.

Even though the Prime Minister has finally come clean and admitted to parliament and the Jamaican people, in a nationwide address, that he misled them when he pretended not to know anything about a decision to retain a prominent U.S. law firm to lobby the U.S. State Department to ease pressure on the Caribbean country, Jamaicans are insistent that he should go.

"I hope that the issue can be resolved quite soon so that relations between the United States and Jamaica can return to normalcy," said a prominent religious leader in the City. "My country is quickly losing its credibility as the message being sent around the world is that we are shielding a man who is accused of committing some terrible crimes. I don't believe we should be held to ransom because the Bruce Golding government can't bring itself to do the right thing and extradite Dudus."

The pastor, who requested anonymity, described himself as a "loyal and patriotic" Jamaican who simply wanted to see the best for his country, and "shielding a man who seems to hold secrets that may bring down powerful people" wasn't in the nation's best interest.

In what seems certain to be a retaliatory move, the U.S. State Department has cancelled visas it had previously issued to prominent entertainers, businesses executives and others, thus preventing them landing on U.S. soil.

The latest bombshell in the affair came when Golding finally acknowledged last week that he had been less than candid when he previously denied that he had anything to do with the hiring of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP to lobby the State Department, presumably to ease the pressure on the country over Dudus.

In an address to the nation on Monday evening (May 17), the Prime Minister admitted that the different stories put out by his government were enough to dent his credibility and spur distrust. He then asked for forgiveness and apologized.

But even before Golding's televised address, Sadie Campbell, of the Bronx, said that no apology or atonement would suffice.

"He should step down now because he has lied to the people of Jamaica and has hurt relations our country has with the United States," Campbell told the Carib News. "There should be an election after his resignation, pure and simple. Nothing less would be acceptable. He has damaged Jamaica's image abroad; he has been far less than candid and many Jamaicans are suffering because of their inability to come to the United States to work, visit relatives or otherwise do business. Golding should go."

Jose Richards agreed.

"The lies that have been told to parliament and to the people across the nation and outside of it, and the sheer magnitude of the crisis the Golding administration has created are enough to force the entire cabinet to quit and for new elections," Richards said. "If he doesn't resign then it wouldn't be difficult to conclude that, once again, Jamaicans are turning a blind eye to skullduggery. People are being killed daily in Jamaica and the people don't seem to be able to do anything about it. We have lost control of our leaders and of our country."

But Marcia Bishop, a Bronx resident, is willing to give the Prime Minister the second chance he is requesting.

"He made mistakes; he has acknowledged them and we should be prepared to accept his apology and move on," she said. "What's important is that we may be on our way of repairing the damage done. Let's get back to what Jamaica stands for and that is honesty and forthrightness."