People’s National Party (PNP) general-secretary Donald Buchanan yesterday accused the Observer of engaging in a campaign to destroy his leader, Portia Simpson Miller, and charged that the newspaper was an arm of the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP’s) propaganda machinery.

Buchanan, in a caustic response to the Observer’s editorial on Wednesday, which criticised Simpson for her ungracious speech Monday night in which she refused to concede after the PNP’s election defeat, said the commentary left no doubt about where the Observer’s political loyalty lay.

“Even before the start of the general election campaign, the Observer began its own campaign to discredit and destroy the Most Honourable Portia Simpson Miller,” said Buchanan. “She is from humble beginnings, but that does not mean that she has no right to lead this country.”

He described the editorial as snobbish and an affront to the majority of Jamaicans and complained that the cartoons depicting Simpson Miller were “disgusting and degrading”.

“The Observer has criticised everything she has done,” he said. “However, in our view, her leadership of our party has been outstanding. She has worked in the best interest of all Jamaicans and her performance at the polls (49.8%) is an indication of her leadership and the strong support she continues to receive from the Jamaican society.”

Buchanan also accused the newspaper of having an agenda to create discord in the PNP, adding that it would not work.

“The PNP is united, and will be watching the Jamaica Labour Party Government and ensuring that it keeps all the promises made to the Jamaican people,” he said. “As a strong Opposition we will also ensure that the interest of the masses remains the priority of the Government not just the interest of a few.”

He said that Simpson Miller is like most Jamaicans and has never pretended to be an intellectual. “But, like the majority of our people, she has worked hard and has pulled herself up by her boot strap,” he added. “She has done a great job as prime minister and in her many prior ministerial capacities and should be praised for her achievements. She is a strong woman with great integrity and your newspaper has never been able to dictate her agenda.”

He said the PNP’s recommendation was that the Observer review its work over the past several months “and examine whether or not you have practiced ethical and fair journalism”.

“After that examination, hopefully, you will try to regain some credibility by reporting fairly and removing yourself from the current position as an arm of the JLP’s propaganda machinery,” Buchanan said.