AS a defiant James Robertson insisted that he remained unbowed despite renewed accusations of vote-buying – from within the fractious Jamaica Labour Party – chairman Bruce Golding Sunday night urged Labourites to stop the infighting and focus on wresting power from the ruling People’s National Party.

“Whatever pressure they put on me I can handle it, because I know where the pressure is coming from, so don’t worry about me, Labourites,” Robertson told cheering supporters at the Naggo’s Head Primary School Sunday night. “I know ’bout that and I can mash down that lie.”

While he did not call any names, Robertson’s comments were a clear reference to the latest round of accusations swirling around last November’s contest for JLP deputy leader of Area Council Two, which includes the parishes of St Thomas, Portland, St Mary and St Ann.

There were reports last week that caretaker for eastern Portland Dr Dennis Minott had asked political ombudsman Bishop Herro Blair to investigate allegations of bribery during the race.

Robertson defeated incumbent Olivia “Babsy” Grange for the post of deputy leader for the council but his victory was sullied by party leader Edward Seaga’s accusations that “tainted money” had been used to fund his campaign. Seaga later retracted his comments and a police investigation apparently fizzled out.

But the issue resurfaced again last week. In response, Robertson’s campaign manager Daryl Vaz suggested that Dr Minott’s move was designed to discredit him (Vaz). The caretaker, Vaz argued, was simply trying to hold onto his position in east Portland by spoiling Vaz’ chances of becoming the party’s candidate.

Yesterday more than 100 JLP members from East Portland turned up at the party’s Belmont Road headquarters in Kingston to support Robertson at last night’s Standing Committee meeting where the vote-buying allegation was expected to be discussed. Twenty-five of the supporters, who insisted that Robertson did not buy votes to win the, deputy leadershiop race, were allowed into the meeting.

The Robertson/Minott/Vaz furore is just the latest round of internal fighting that has rocked the Opposition party. Last year, there was a spirited battle between the party’s traditionalists and Labourites who call themselves reformists – perceived as supporters of prodigal son Bruce Golding – as they jockeyed for leadership positions in the party that has been in Opposition for 15 years.

Golding, who has had to do a balancing act of placating both sides, Sunday night repeated earlier urgings for both sides to work together. The party, the chairman said, was “going through some turbulent waters, some of which is totally unnecessary”.

And he laid some of the blame for the JLP’s dubious reputation of constant bickering squarely at Labourites’ feet.

“Before we can blame the PNP we must get our own house in order,” Golding urged. “Some things that are being done should not be done. If the people say they want John Brown as leader or deputy leader and I don’t like John Brown, it doesn’t matter.”

In the past, Golding maintained, the party had not been run based on personality differences.

“In the ’70s some four/five of us pack up in a hotel room, some of them (are men) I don’t like… but I am a soldier for the JLP – we shouldn’t be so preoccupied with who we want to get out,” he added.

The reformists have been tagged as the new breed, the replacements for old-time loyalists such as Grange and Ed Bartlett, who was trounced in the November race by Dr Horace Chang.

But Seaga has accused the young Turks of failing to follow procedure and protocol in their haste to get the job done; and his obvious backing of Grange has been a slap in the face for Robertson. In addition to Robertson, the JLP’s deputy leaders are Audley Shaw and Derrick Smith, who are both seen as a strong Seaga loyalists, and Dr Horace Chang, who is said to be firmly aligned with the reformists.

On Sunday, Golding called for mutual respect on both sides.

“You must respect the leader, but the same respect is due to his deputies… if Seaga take sick tomorrow, one of these deputies must be able to take his place,” he urged.

The goal, he made clear, was to become the next government, not tear the JLP apart from the inside.

“Our party is out of power for 15 years, I am not accustomed to that, Bustamante never formed the JLP to be a good opposition,” Golding said. “We want to resign from the job of opposition and move to a higher level today, next week, next month, next election, stop being opposition and be the government!”