KINGSTON, Jamaica – Just hours after a video of Dennis Meadows endorsing scamming went viral on social media, the president of the People’s National Party (PNP), Mark Golding, has announced that Meadows has been removed as the party’s provisional candidate for North Trelawny.

In a release on Thursday, Golding stated that Meadows’ continuation as the candidate is “untenable in light of his egregious remarks on the platform, given that scamming is one of Jamaica‘s most serious national security challenges.”

Meadows had stated that he had no problem with “choppas”. In Jamaica, a “choppa” refers to a person involved in scamming activities.

“Let me tell you straight up, and me can speak openly, I have no problem with a man if him wah chop because dem chop us during slavery so nothing wrong if we chop dem back,” he said. “My only problem with chopping is that when you bingo, and you score, use the money wisely,” Meadows stated in the video.

READ: PNP’s Meadows backtracks after endorsing ‘choppas’

In ousting Meadows, Golding stated that Jamaica can no longer tolerate unprincipled leaders.

“Let this precedent be a warning to all who serve in the PNP under my leadership. We are demanding higher standards of accountability. Jamaica will no longer tolerate weak, unprincipled leaders who say one thing but do another. Jamaicans deserve better, and I will give it to them.”

Meadows resigned from the JLP in March 2022 following what he described then as a toxic relationship. He joined the PNP in October and moved up in the hierarchy of the party, becoming chairman of the constituency and now caretaker candidate.
Meadows has made three failed bids to win the constituency.