From RJ News Online Sun 23 June

Jamaicans will pay their final respects to former Prime Minister Edward Seaga today.  

The state funeral for Mr. Seaga will begin at midday at the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity in Kingston, commonly called Holy Trinity Cathedral, with interment at the National Heroes Park. 

Several government officials from the Caribbean, including Cayman’s Premier Alden McLaughlin and Premier of Turks and Caicos, Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson, will be in attendance at the funeral.

 It has also been confirmed that former Prime Minister of Barbados Owen Arthur will be in attendance. 

Governor General Sir Patrick Allen is expected to read the first lesson, Opposition Leader Dr. Peter Phillips is to read the second lesson and Prime Minister Andrew Holness will deliver a tribute to Mr. Seaga.  

Mr. Seaga died on his 89th birthday on May 28 at a hospital in Florida after ailing for sometime. He was Jamaica’s fifth Prime Minister, serving from 1980 to 1989. 

At the church  Chief of State Protocol at the Office of the Prime Minister Ambassador Sandra Grant-Griffiths has said accommodation is in place to facilitate a limited number of Jamaicans at the funeral on the outside.  

“The church seats 1,000 and it is limited seating for an occasion like this, so what we have done is, based on the order of precedence and we invited officials and dignitaries…we have issued seating tickets. So what we’ll try to do is seat those with tickets first and then all else who comes will be accommodated. We have a tent established for spill over, which I think seats another probably 500,” she said.   

She asked for patience and cooperation from those who will attend.   

Mrs Grant-Griffiths said marshalls will also be on hand to ensure that the funeral proceeds in a dignified manner. For the interment, she outlined that there will route-liners from the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and other uniformed groups along the path leading to where Mr. Seaga will be buried. 

 Gun salute  The Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) will fire a 19-round gun salute at the funeral in keeping with the high national office that Mr. Seaga held.  The first gun salute will be fired as soon as the bearer party exist the cathedral with the casket at the end of the service. Eighteen other rounds will be fired at equal intervals, with the last one occurring at the time the gun carriage with the casket enters the south gate of the National Heroes’ Park.   

The bearer party will then take the casket from the gun carriage and march to the graveside. 

During the gun salute for Mr. Seaga, all persons should behave appropriately and respectfully in both sound and movement. RJR 94FM, TVJ, JNN, Power 106, Gleaner Online and 1spotmedia.com will have coverage of the state funeral starting at 11:00 am.

For more on this story and audio go to: http://rjrnewsonline.com/local/former-prime-minister-edward-seaga-to-be-laid-to-rest-today