THERE was mixed support for the embattled People’s National Party’s (PNP) members of parliament (MPs) at the party’s 77th annual conference, as constituents openly declared their approval or dissatisfaction with the selection process which has already eliminated some political representatives from being standard- bearers in the next general election.

One constituency which showed an obvious division was that of Portland Eastern where some Comrades staged a mini protest outside the arena to show their disapproval for the recent run-off in the constituency, which saw attorney-at-law Andrea Moore being voted the candidate to replace sitting MP Dr Lynvale Bloomfield.

The protesters in support of Bloomfield said Moore was forced upon them and she is not welcomed.

“We don’t need her. We don’t know anything about her. We stick to the evil we know and we know Dr Bloomfield. What we ask ‘doctor’ for we get, and that is water and roads. He is someone we can talk to and reason with,” Barbara Crawford said.

“Portland has the least crime in Jamaica, but we have many sick people. We don’t want any lawyer because we are not criminals. We are sick, so we want the ‘doctor’. If you check Jesus, he says he’s the physician; we want the physician and that’s Bloomfield,” said Kevin Anthony Morrison to loud cheers from his fellow Comrades in support of Bloomfield.

Another supporter, Cleveland Holgate, said while Bloomfield might not be a bullish MP, he cares for the people he represents, but he was betrayed.

“It’s a downright liberty for anyone to impose someone whom we know nothing about on us. Bloomfield has been doing work and he would follow the chain of command, however, the team back-stabbed him,” he said.

Moreover, as a threat to the party, they expressed that if Dr Bloomfield is not returned to his post, both the MP and councillor seats in Portland Eastern will be given to the Jamaica Labour Party in the upcoming general election.

But, for some of Moore’s supporters they said everyone will get a fair chance and now it’s time to give the reins of Portland Eastern to someone else.

However, in St Elizabeth North Eastern, which had a similar ousting of MP Raymond Pryce as was done with Dr Bloomfield, the supporters were mum on the issue, only offering that they would support the PNP regardless of who the delegates choose to run in the upcoming general election.

“Anyone win I’m still PNP. I don’t know much about Mr Redman, but I leave it up to the voters mind and I will wait and see what he will do,” James Facey said.

Comrades from other constituents did not mince words when it came to where their support lie.

Over in the St Ann South Eastern’s camp, Linda Bryan said those who are not in support of MP Lisa Hanna are out of order and have got no community love. She added that if they continue to show no support to Hanna, as socialists they will get nowhere as Hanna is all for youth empowerment.

“She is for the youth, and they need to realise it’s young people who will propel Jamaica forward,” she said.

“Lisa is for the people , for the youth. She make a good place to lay down to sleep and protect the children so they don’t get rape,” Rupert Warren, another supporter of Hanna, said.

St Elizabeth South Western’s camp was also in a defensive mode for MP Hugh Buchanan, maintaining that everybody deserves a second chance and those who chide him “are carrying feelings from days when his father the late Donald Buchanan was MP”.

“If Hugo deserve to lose, the party deserve to lose,” Junior Graham said.

“Any issues down here with Hugo is bad mind and dem want too much. The ones talking are all about themselves. He had little to do and he did his best. People are carrying feelings from his father days. Hugo built five roads in New Town and improved six schools. He gave people drums for water storage, but some depend too much on MPs. They have children and can’t look after them and expect MP to do the job — No! Stop fight the young MPs and come out of the handout mentality,” Juliet Johnson said.

But Dwight Salmon said the young MPs need guidance, as they inherited a culture of handouts but want to change too suddenly.

“Buchanan has done work when come to infrastructure. It’s the best I’ve seen in a while, but he can’t change the handout culture too sudden; he has to do it gradually,” he said.

The Comrades from St Andrew East Rural were also supportive of Damion Crawford and lauded his efforts to move away from the culture of handouts.

“We don’t want no $2,000 MP. He has helped out with a lot of roads. In my 32 years Crawford mek mi know asphalt road. He built the community centres with computers and my kids benefited from his education initiative,” Pamela Reid said.

Meanwhile, Sordia Robinson and Caroline Duval said they have each received certificates in mixology and customer care and hospitality as a result of the programmes initiated by Crawford.

By noon yesterday, the National Arena, which is estimated to accommodate 6,000 people, was overflowing as party supporters piled inside the venue.

From as early as 9:00 am the orange-clad supporters, which included children and the very elderly, began streaming inside the Independence Park venue and before long the crowd had spilled over into the National Indoor Sports Centre.

On the outside of the National Arena there was a crush as hundreds of supporters stood by the Jumbotron listening to the various speakers, playing games of ludo, participating in a session by a St Thomas mento band, or bouncing to the sounds of a private sound system which was set up in the parking lot. Other Comrades were busy consuming alcoholic beverages or smoking marijuana, which appeared to be more than the two ounces stipulated by law.

Meanwhile, some supporters visibly expressed support in some instances and disapproval in others of the rumblings in their constituency relating to their member of parliament.

As it relates to contrabands Assistant Commissioner of Police George Quallo said discretion had to be the order of the day for marijuana use, as he had no scales to weigh individual quantities.

“They may just be within the confines of the law, and if I arrested one individual for what I thought was more than two ounces without actual proof, it would probably do more harm than good,” Quallo said.

“We received a couple of knives, three to four scissors, and a lot of lighters,” he added.

As it relates to the emergency services, Quallo said he was concerned about the effects of the heat on the elderly and the disabled, however, few reports of individuals fainting were made.

Moreover, the mood of the Comrades remained high as they cemented their support for the party by being consistent with their cheers upon till the time their party president left the venue.