PEOPLE’S National Party (PNP) President Portia Simpson Miller Monday night told her supporters thanks, as she celebrated her first year in office as prime minister at a rally held the National Stadium car park.

Simpson Miller created history on February 25, 2006 when she became the first woman to lead the PNP, and was sworn in as the first female prime minister of Jamaica on March 30.

The rally was attended by thousands of party faithfuls, but party officials, including general secretary Donald Buchanan, all downplayed the event as one planned to ‘test the waters’ for general elections scheduled to be held later this year.

“This meeting is to celebrate the prime minister’s first year in office. It is a celebratory meeting and nothing else, so do not read anything into this,” Buchanan told journalists, prior to the start of the rally.

Buchanan said he was pleased at the large turnout, which he estimated to be nearly 15, 000, but which in reality was closer to 5,000.

When it was her turn at the podium, Simpson Miller rapped the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) obsession with the Trafigura issue, saying the way the matter was handled was regrettable but said the money was returned.

The PNP, said Simpson Miller, was prepared “to open its books (on campaign contributions) to Jamaica”, and charged that the “JLP cannot do that”.

She urged families to bond together for their children’s sake, telling the appreciative crowd that she will be speaking to family issues when she speaks in the Budget Debate which opened with finance minister Omar Davies tabling the Estimates of Expenditure on Tuesday.

The prime minister also used the opportunity to present her candidates for Kingston and St Andrew, including Michael Phillips, the son of her security minister Dr Peter Phillips, as the candidate for St Andrew West Rural.

There were loud applause for young Phillips, and in a show of unity, the man he replaced, Oliver Clue, joined him on stage in a warm embrace, after an equally warm embrace from his father Dr Phillips.

A cultural package presented as part of the night’s celebration, was not without verbal political snipes at the Opposition.

One of the speakers told the crowd that “all that glitters is not Golding” – a snipe at Bruce Golding, the leader of the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP). One of the comedy acts said JLP supporters would be afraid to wave to each other during the election campaign saying they would be “waving for a fifth term”, and if they closed their fingers and give a clenched fist, they would also be supporting the PNP, which shows a clench fist for its national anthem.

Among the acts were Tanya Stephens, Etana, Rising Stars winners One Third, Leroy Sibbles, comedians Ity and Fancy Cat, evangelist Sandra Brooks and Owen “Blacka” Ellis.