CHRISTOPHER Tufton, former chairman of the National Democratic Movement (NDM), has been appointed general secretary of Generation 2000 (G2K), a group of young professionals affiliated to the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP). He was among a new slate of executives elected during the group’s conference on Sunday.

Tufton returned to the JLP along with Bruce Golding, founding president of the NDM, during the recent election campaign, in a last-minute move aimed at bolstering the flagging electoral prospects of the JLP.

David Panton, founding head of the group, has been succeeded by Ronald Robinson. Panton, who has been appointed an Opposition senator, remains a member of the G2K executive.

Another new addition to the body is Norman Horne, who lost to Health Minister John Junor of the People’s National Party (PNP) in the Central Manchester seat. Horne is now the group’s vice-president for planning and development.

According to newly appointed president, Ronald Robinson, the group of young professionals will “move forward in our aggressive way (and) will play a very important and active role” in the local government elections. He expressed confidence that the JLP would win the majority of the island’s 13 councils in the municipal polls.

“We are going to fight this local government election unlike any other before,” Ian Hayles, vice-president for organisation and membership, told reporters at the JLP’s Belmont Road headquarters in Kingston yesterday.

The group will focus on the issues of crime and free education in the upcoming polls, added Mitzie Pratt, the new vice-president for social and gender affairs. She noted that her portfolio would focus on issues such as child prostitution, abuse of women and their discrimination at the workplace, AIDS awareness among teenage parents, and education.

G2K played a supportive role to the JLP during the recent campaigning for the October 16 general elections. The group managed the party’s polling unit, mobilised financial support from the private sector and galvanised the youth vote for the JLP.

Yesterday the group said it planned to recruit 20,000 new members and triple its operational budget of $3 million over the next year.

“I wish to be (remembered as) the president that presided over the unprecedented growth of G2K (and I want the organisation) to embrace all section and class of society,” declared Robinson.

The expansion plan includes the formation of affiliate groups of persons under voting age called ‘Young Labour’ as well as the formation of G2K chapters. However, Hayles, the executive in charge of membership, said the proposed membership drive would not conflict with the interests of Young Jamaica, the youth arm of the JLP.

“G2K will turn over members (recruited) to Young Jamaica. It’s a team effort.” said Hayles.

He announced, in addition, that G2K planned to stage 24 seminars during the first six months of next year.