LUCEA, Hanover — Following a number of rocky candidate selection processes that have left some Comrades disgruntled, People’s National Party (PNP) President Mark Golding is calling on supporters to put aside differences and work together to ensure the party gets into power.

“To each and everyone, I beg of you, any little friction, any little issues between us, we are done with that now. Those things don’t matter. You have to see the big picture, and the big picture is one united Jamaica with a PNP in government; first at the local level, then at the national level to build a better future for us, our children, our grandchildren. And Comrades, please let us work together to achieve that,” the Opposition leader appealed.

He was addressing a candidate presentation meeting held in a packed Rusea’s High School auditorium in Lucea, Hanover, on Sunday. The eastern and western sections of the parish have been among those where there has been bitter discord over the PNP hierarchy’s candidate selection process.

Among disgruntled aspirants who did not get the nod are Craig Oates, who was hoping to run in Hanover Eastern when the next general election is called; Neville “Bibby” Humphrey, who had his sights set on being the candidate for the Lucea Division in the impending local polls; and Kenroy Calame, who had an interest in the Cauldwell Division.

The three men recently outlined their grouses in a video message that has been making the rounds. Calame claimed he was given written notification that he was the lone standard-bearer for the division, but after working for two years he was sidelined and the green light was given to the current councillor and Mayor of Lucea Sheridan Samuels.

On Sunday, none of them were on Golding’s list of seven candidates for the local election and two for the parliamentary poll.

“Comrades, all that is going on, I am glad we reached this point in Hanover; it was a long time coming. It was a long time coming but when you want something good your nose has to run, and we have something good now to present to you in this parish,” the Opposition leader said before revealing the names.

He also took the opportunity to once again call for the delay-plagued local government election.

“I want to see what they are going to do this time because the people will not stand for another bogus extension of this election. There are councils without councillors because councillors have passed on or migrated. The people want an opportunity to exercise the right of their franchise to elect the councillors of their choice. They want to reconfigure the local government to put the People’s National Party in the driver’s seat so we can deliver a caring government for the people,” argued Golding.

On February 21, 2023, Local Government and Community Development Minister Desmond McKenzie told the House of Representatives that the local poll, which was constitutionally due before February 28, 2023, had been pushed back by a year. That was the third delay. The Government’s stated reason for a delay announced in November 2020 was the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, even though it had held a general election a mere two months earlier.

Plans for Portmore to be given parish status were also given as a reason for the postponement. However, Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced last week that the legislation for the municipality to be declared a parish would not be ready before the elections are called.

On Sunday Golding had a message for PNP supporters.

“I know that when the time comes you won’t let us down. You won’t let down the People’s National Party because this local government election is a referendum on the Government. The people of Jamaica want to see whether the PNP can deliver a victory. And if we can deliver a victory then we know the next one is assured,” he said.

He said the PNP will be putting pressure on the Government because there is a need for the party to save the country by taking it back from the Jamaica Labour Party.

“It matters, because the crime and violence situation is out of control. When we were in government, Hanover was a peaceful place; never heard about any problem in Hanover. Since this Labour Party Government came in, Hanover has become a different kind of place and we have to fix the crime and violence problem — not just in Hanover, but all over Jamaica. That is one of the missions of our government [in waiting] — is to set that trend right back in the right direction,” stated Golding.

He claimed that under previous PNP governments, murders were 25 per cent lower per annum in each of the four years than in any of the eight years since.