Bruce Golding was yesterday returned unopposed as leader of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and his four deputies remained intact, as hundreds of party delegates and supporters assembled at the National Arena for the opening day of the party’s 63rd annual conference.

The four deputy leaders returned are Audley Shaw, James Robertson, Derrick Smith and Dr Horace Chang.

The conference got underway to a customary late start, but that did nothing to dampen the spirit of the delegates who travelled from all 60 constituencies to hear party officials speak about the status of readiness of the party that has formed the Opposition since 1989 for general elections.

The business of the party took centrestage on the opening day, as the conference heard reports from the deputy leaders, area council chairpersons and general-secretary Karl Samuda.

“Labourites,” “Labourites”, “Labourites” shouted speaker after speaker, whipping up support from the crowd. But when Samuda declared that, “the Jamaica Labour Party is in great shape. We are ready, we are organised and we are prepared to defeat the PNP”, the crowd went wild.

Among the highpoints of yesterday’s proceeding was the organisation and behaviour of those in attendance.

Delegates and supporters, clad in t-shirts bearing the images of their respective candidates, were seated in prescribed sections of the conference floor, and throughout the day, the behaviour was impeccable.

Delegates danced and applauded the message of hope, prosperity and renewal from the party’s leaders and spokespersons, who reported directly to the conference, or took questions from the floor during the talk-back session.

The status of the party’s organisational readiness in the various area councils was presented, including the financial status of the constituencies in the divisions.

Conference chairman, the effervescent Desmond McKenzie, in-between selected musical pieces, spoke of the ruling PNP’s pending demise and the crowning of a JLP victory.

Samuda, in giving his report, praised the party’s administration for putting the JLP where it is today, its packaging, message, and increasing the JLP’s attractiveness to the electorate for the first time in more than a decade.

Recent opinion polls have shown the JLP as having a real chance of winning general elections whenever they are called.

The JLP has slowly eaten into the large lead held by the PNP, particularly after the ruling party’s change of leadership in February. However, in the last two months, the PNP has been rocked by a bitter post-leadership and selection rift, which has damaged its image as a united force.

The JLP has been in campaign mode for some time now, taking its message to more than 500 communities and 25 constituencies. The campaign and advertising blitz has cost the party close to $50 million over a two-year period.

Yesterday, Samuda welcomed former minister of industry and commerce Douglas Vaz, and former member of parliament Jeremy Palmer to the conference.

Robertson, deputy leader for area council two, in his address, said the PNP was unable to name candidates in three constituencies in his area council.

Describing Golding as the new driver of the JLP, Robertson said the JLP must become all embracing and welcome PNP supporters, who, he said, were leaderless.

Smith, in his address, spoke to the readiness of his area council, while Shaw and Dr Chang made similar claims.

The business session ended with a question and answer session in which delegates engaged portfolio spokespersons.

A significant number of the questions were on the subject of education, keeping spokesman Andrew Holness very busy.

Holness said the JLP was very clear on what it had to do for education, noting that compulsory attendance and compulsory completion of schooling to age 18 would be a priority.

Agriculture, crime, the Trafigura issue, tourism, and corruption were also raised by the delegates.

The conference continues today with the public session at which Golding will give the keynote address.

virtuee@jamaicaobserver.com