PNP touts positive momentum, scoffs at recent JLP changes

By Kimone Witter    

 

General Secretary of the People's National Party (PNP) Dr. Dayton Campbell says the party is taking a surgical and targeted approach to its preparedness for the general election due next year.

 

He has scoffed at the changes which the ruling Jamaica Labour Party has made to its Central Executive, describing them as inconsequential.

 

Dr. Campbell says the PNP has been in the field gathering data that will be used to tailor its messaging to resonate with the Jamaican people. 

 

"We have identified seats that we need to win. We are putting the structures in place to ensure that we have the numbers that we need to get to, we have the workforce to do the work, we have the appropriate message to get to the persons there, and that we can mobilise our base support and mobilise others who can coalesce around the message that we have. And we think that we'll be successful in doing that," he asserted. 

 

Dr. Campbell said the PNP should complete its canvassing in at least ten parishes in the next two weeks.

 

He is confident of success in a general election as the party gained significant momentum in the February 26 local government polls. 

 

"What happened is that they (JLP) were late out of the blocks and they are just hearing the cries of the people, which is what we have heard a long time ago because we've put the leader of the People's National Party on the road for the last two and a half years. So we've been in touch with the people and we've been strategising from there, and they've allowed us to gather momentum. We've been successfully able to re-energise our base and our people are ready and raring to go for any election," said the PNP General Secretary, who was responding to Morning Agenda host, Sanjay Lewis. 

 

General Secretary of Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Dr. Horace Chang has acknowledged that the party's message has not been resonating with the country. 

 

In the meantime, the People's National Party has said it is in the process of selecting candidates in five constituencies.

 

In March, the PNP removed caretaker for Northern Trelawny Dennis Meadows following his controversial comments in relation to lottery scamming and Errol Bascoe, who is charged with buggery, resigned as the provisional candidate for Western St. Mary.

 

Dr. Campbell said other constituencies, including St. Andrew West Central and St. Andrew West Rural, are also in need of a caretaker.

 

Still, he said the PNP is close to completing its slate of candidates.