Political leaders throw jabs as election campaigning heats up

 

Jamaica's two main political parties have ramped up their campaigns with rallies being held in several constituencies on the weekend. 

 

Leader of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness and Opposition Leader and People's National Party (PNP) President Mark Golding, used the meetings to urge supporters to prepare for the general election. 

 

Addressing a JLP meeting in St. Catherine South Central on Sunday evening, Dr. Holness called for his supporters to spread the vision and achievements of his administration to the electorate as they prepare to go to the polls. The JLP leader urged the electorate to make the smart choice and return his government to power. 

 

"You have a choice, part of the democracy. It will not always be exercised rationally, because you have to wrestle with your emotion, your history, your family, your community. But the consequences of using that choice irrationally could mean another FINSAC. It could mean the debt going off again. It could mean fiscal irresponsibility returning. It could mean, you know, I don't have to go into all the things it could mean. It could mean crime and violence going back up again. It could mean more tax. It could mean greater unemployment. It could mean that Jamaica goes back to those dark days. And that is why I have a duty, having worked with you so hard to bring Jamaica to where it is, not to leave it to chance," he declared. 

 

Meanwhile, PNP President Mark Golding has called for the electorate not to be swayed by the number of groundbreaking ceremonies being conducted by the Andrew Holness administration. 

 

Mr. Golding, who was speaking Sunday evening at a PNP rally in St. Ann North Western, described the actions as political gimmick after years of neglecting repairs to critical infrastructure. 

 

"Comrades, we have a government that is late in the day, well into their fifth year in office, running around trying to fool the people by cutting ribbons and breaking ground on all sorts of projects which are not even ready to be delivered to the people. They're trying to fix roads after 10 years of neglect of the road network," he contended, pointing to "huge craters" and infrastructure "decay" in Brown's Town, where the political meeting was held. 

 

Mr. Golding called for his supporters and the electorate to be on alert for fake social media platforms seeking to influence their votes as well as "stirring up trouble, spreading lies and misinformation". 

 

He reiterated that the governing party "couldn't deliver progress for the people" during their nine years in power, adding that "They don't deserve another term in office."

 

Mr. Golding renewed his call for Dr. Holness to announce the date for the election.