KINGSTON, Jamaica — The governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has stepped up its calls for the General Secretary of the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) Dr Dayton Campbell to resign over what it calls the PNP/Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) corruption scandal.

The latest call was made during a Thursday morning press conference hosted by the JLP’s Marlon Morgan, a member of the party’s communication taskforce.

Morgan wants Campbell to resign following the circulation of a voice note on the WhatsApp platform purportedly of a conversation between Campbell and the former PNP caretaker for the Kingston Central constituency, Lawrence Rowe, in which they are heard discussing the funding of PNP activities in by-elections.

The conversation reportedly took place in December 2024.

Morgan wants Campbell to resign his positions as a member of the Electoral Commission of Jamaica, the PNP spokesman on Agriculture and Fisheries and as general secretary of the PNP.

Morgan also dubbed the incident the “Lawrence Rowe/PNP hush money scandal”. He said it was “noteworthy that despite the passage of a week, Dr Campbell has not denied having the conversation, nor has he denied responding in the manner the voice-note indicates that he did”.

“It is important to note that in the WhatsApp conversation, then PNP caretaker Lawrence Rowe directly questioned the embattled PNP General Secretary Dr Dayton Campbell as to why some PNP political operatives, received more money from the KSAMC, including sums of $500,000 compared to $300,000 which Rowe told Campbell he had received.

“It is also important to note that in responding to the direct question put to him by Lawrence Rowe, Dayton Campbell did not condemn or in any way repudiate or disassociate the PNP from the use of KSAMC money to advance the partisan agenda and electoral interests of the PNP and its political operatives. A direct question was put to Dr Dayton Campbell and he provided a direct response,” Morgan pointed out.

He also accused civil society groups of remaining silent on the matter nearly a week after it first broke, suggesting that if it concerned the JLP, such groups would have been taking the governing party to task.

Morgan also questioned the decision of Opposition leader and PNP President Mark Golding to recently publicly reaffirm his confidence in Campbell.