PRESIDENT of the People’s National Party (PNP) Mark Golding has declared that the signs are clear the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) will “get a beating” in the looming local government elections.

“Dem haffi get a beatin; dem must get a beatin’ on the 26th [of February],” Golding told cheering supporters as they danced to the song of the same name by late reggae great Peter Tosh at a PNP Region Three meeting in Golding’s St Andrew Southern constituency on Sunday.

According to Golding, the leadership of the PNP has been rebuilding the party since, “we went through that little trouble in 2020”, and was the entity which pushed the Andrew Holness-led Administration to call the local government election rather than postpone it for a fourth time.

“We put the man in a corner so him have fi call this election. Him couldn’t run weh, him couldn’t dodge it, him couldn’t hide from it — him had to call it. Is the PNP that put local government in the constitution of Jamaica when I was the minister of justice and [Noel] “Butch” Arscott was the minister of local government. “The constitution of Jamaica says there must be a democratic system of local governance. An’ me know seh when you supposed to have an election for councillors from 2020 an’ yu a guh come in 2024 and them a postpone it, postpone it… and me know seh nutten couldn’t go suh and me tell ‘im seh: ‘Yow, we serious enough man. Wi a guh tek it to court and mek dem gi you a beating, man,’ ” added Golding.

He told the upbeat Comrades that the Holness Administration did not want to call the election, and pointed to the crowd inside Tony Spaulding Sports Complex in the heart of Arnett Gardens — the bedrock of his St Andrew Southern constituency — as part of the reason the Government wanted to avoid going to the polls.

Golding charged that Jamaica is ready for a change as people are tired of corruption and a Government that has placed a gag order on itself so that its members cannot speak about the six parliamentarians who are reportedly being investigated for illicit enrichment by the Integrity Commission.

“This is not a Government for poor people; this is not a Government for the working class people in this country. And I want to tell every worker in this country… when we come to [be the] Government again we will work with you in a spirit of friendship and caring to sort out all the little issues which linger on and mek your life unpleasant at work, and make you demoralised and want to migrate,” added Golding as he declared that the PNP is the party for the people of Jamaica.

According to Golding, the PNP believes in local government as opposed to the JLP which shut down the local government system in the 1980s.

“We passed the three strategic laws in the last Portia Simpson Miller term to modernise the system of local governance, and we want to make those laws work for the people. We want to deliver better resources to local government so that they can deliver the service that the people need,” added Golding.

The PNP president was adamant that a victory for his party in the local government elections would signal its march back to control of central government.

“Comrades, we are focusing on February 26th — and that is an important day — and my friends on the platform have spoken to why we need to send a signal,” said Golding.

“This will be a referendum on this Government. This will be an earthquake for the [Jamaica] Labour Party Government because when on the 26th the PNP is victorious in the local government elections, it is only a matter of time before the general election has to be called and the PNP will be returned to power,” declared Golding.

He charged that many JLP supporters are ashamed of the corruption taking place in their party and also want to see a change.

“So I say to each and every one who say dem a Labourite: ‘This time round, you can mark your X beside the head [the symbol of the PNP] cause yu know seh a di right thing to do for Jamaica at this time; and we welcome the vote and we nah guh sell you out,” said Golding.