Dear Editor,

The governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has over the past few years given the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) so many golden opportunities to step up and show itself to be a viable alternative. The PNP has, however, hurled every single opportunity back to the JLP which is now on the mend and will, without a doubt, win the next general election.

The PNP has completely lost its way!

The party continues to make the most embarrassing gaffs that not even the most inexperienced politician or political party should be making. The most recent was party leader Mark Golding releasing chains from the neck of a supporter — in 2023! This following Dayton Campbell’s pronouncement that Nationwide News Network was a JLP station. Shortly thereafter the media house’s headquarters was attacked. At this point the two things have not been proven to be related, but they are important to note.

I am at a complete loss as to who the PNP is trying to attract. Who is its target audience? What is the game plan? I have always thought people were being too hard on Mark Golding and that he would find his footing and add some value to the PNP; boy, was I wrong!

He continues to be guided or is guiding the party to the lowest of lows. It’s downright sad to see what the PNP has become — a national laughing stock and an institution that appears very much out of touch with any modern democracy.

The Opposition does a good job at opposing. However, it opposes the good and the bad without any thought going into its actions. It’s all about the noise, rallying the base — rallying the base with nonsensical arguments was why Jamaica was for years engaged in a political war.

I was one who was very critical of former Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller as I thought her outbursts and passive leadership style left much to be desired; however, Mark Golding and Dayton Campbell are testament to the fact that a great education really does not make a man, neither does it make one more clever than someone who isn’t as highly educated but has common sense and charisma.

The new leadership of the PNP is the worst representation of the outcome of education as they are operating as individuals who do not have the ability to think critically, solve problems, or even act decently.

It is a national disgrace that the PNP — a once highly regarded part of Jamaica’s political fabric — has been reduced to the lowest of lows.

In 2016 I wrote an article entitled ‘The PNP leadership dilemma’ in which I posited that Julian Robinson should be the person stepping up to become party leader. As it is now, he too has been damaged. Who is left? I really have been looking and I cannot find one.

The party needs to start recruiting a leader urgently and the general secretary should resign immediately.

Javid Brown

javidbrown@gmail.com