Date With Destiny - Golding, Hanna Await Delegates’ Verdict On Bids For PNP Presidency

By: Admin

Image caption: File People's National Party (PNP) supporters inside the National Arena during their 81st Annual Conference on September 22, 2019.

The search for a new president of the People’s National Party (PNP) ends today.

After weeks of wooing delegates to become the sixth president of the PNP, both Mark Golding and Lisa Hanna have expressed confidence that they will be declared the winner of today’s race.

Hanna is seeking to become the second female president of the party after Portia Simpson Miller broke the glass ceiling in 2006.

A more consequential outcome is that today’s winner will be elevated to the office of the leader of the Opposition in the nation’s Parliament.

This is the second presidential contest in two years, triggered by Dr Peter Phillips’ decision to step down after leading the PNP to a 49-14 hammering from the ruling Jamaica Labour Party in the September 3 general election.

In September last year, amid a bruising challenge to Phillips’ leadership by former Manchester Central Member of Parliament Peter Bunting, PNP supporters traded insults on social media and other platforms.

Deep Divisions

The vitriol caused deep divisions in the 82-year-old political organisation, which were cited among the reasons for the landslide defeat in the parliamentary election.

Patricia Duncan Sutherland, spokesperson for the Golding camp, told The Gleaner yesterday that plans are in place to mobilise the delegates.

“One thing that is fortunate is that is an election with only 3,300, so it easier to organise transportation to go for people. We think that we should be able to get them picked up and get them to the polling station,” she said, labelling the COVID-19 pandemic as “a blessing in disguise”.

She said that the pandemic has forced the party to put a polling station in almost all parishes as opposed to having all delegates descending on grounds of the Independence Park in St Andrew.

This, she said, has enabled better coordination for transportation of delegates.

Duncan Sutherland said that the mood in the St Andrew Southern member of parliament’s (MP) camp has been positive.

“We are ready, doing all of what we usually do the day before an election. We are excited about tomorrow and we look forward to a good day tomorrow for the People’s National Party,” she said. “We feel good that we have ran a very clean, uplifting campaign. We feel good that we have a candidate that is so easy to sell.”

Efforts to reach Hanna campaign spokesperson Natalie Neita were unsuccessful.

In a last-minute effort to pull out delegates for the Hanna campaign, PNP Vice President Phillip Paulwell yesterday urged the powerful Region Three to back the St Ann South Eastern MP.

“Comrade Lisa Hanna has the qualities needed to lead the party,” Paulwell said yesterday.

Both Hanna and Golding have campaigned with a commitment to mending the fissures in the party.

Voting is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. with the poll, which is being overseen by the Electoral Office of Jamaica, set to close at 3 p.m. The results are expected to be announced at party headquarters by nightfall.

romario.scott@gleanerjm.com

Voting locations

Kingston and St Andrew – The Mico University College

St Thomas – Yallahs High School

Portland and St Mary – St Mary High

St Ann – Brown’s Town Community College

Trelawny – Cedric Titus High School

St James – Herbert Morrison Technical High School

Hanover – Rusea’s High School

Westmoreland – Manning’s School

St Elizabeth – St Elizabeth Technical High School

Manchester – Manchester High School

Clarendon – Glenmuir High School

St Catherine – Cedar Grove Academy