WESTMORELAND, Jamaica — The General Secretary of the People’s National Party (PNP), Dr Dayton Campbell, has dismissed claims that the party has reached a stage of fatigue in their election campaign.

He instead pointed to the leader of the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), Andrew Holness, who Campbell said is afraid to call the election.

“He has carried this election right up to the wire. Now he comes out to say that the reason why we are asking him to call it is because we are tired. Remember, if he does not call it this Sunday and he does not call it by next week Sunday, it means that it is going to pass the actual election date. The third of September makes five years since the last election,” stated Dr Campbell.

“What kind of power hungry man this them have as prime minister that is talking about his government doing the most and yet still afraid to go to the people? If you have done the most, why are you hiding from the people? When I used to go to sports day, they would say, Andrew is hiding in the garden. Andrew, where are you? You’re hiding from Mark Golding,” argued the general secretary, who is also the standard bearer for Westmoreland Eastern.

It was a similar sentiment shared by his colleague in the neighbouring constituency of Westmoreland Western, Ian Hayles.

“Comrade chairman, they called the election in 2020. September in COVID. I want to tell each and every one of you. He must call it this Sunday, or he must call it next week, Sunday. No more surprises. It is either tomorrow, Sunday, or next week. Sunday. No more surprises,” emphasised Hayles.

In the same vein, Hayles is calling for the unity of supporters within Westmoreland as he encouraged them to ensure that all three constituencies— east, central, and west—in the parish that are currently held by the JLP are returned to the PNP.

“I want you to grab your friend. I want you to go out and ensure that you can deliver the three constituencies to the People’s National Party,” encouraged Hayles, who is also a vice president of the party.

“Forgiveness is important. We serve an awesome God. Forgiveness is important. We are a family. Westmoreland, you’re attached to the People’s National Party. We are a family, and I don’t want to get religious tonight, but the Spirit tells me, party leader (Mark Golding), that central, eastern, and western will be delivered in the column of the People’s National Party,” added Hayles.

Hayes also asked the supporters to forgive the party for its handling of the parish and supporters in the past.

“Party leader in the last election, we lost all three seats in Westmoreland, but we are not going to say to you tonight to stick with the evil that you know, because we don’t believe in evil in the People’s National Party. So, to each and every one of you out there, I will be the first to say to you that we could have done some more things. But under Mark Jefferson Golding, he has said to you a couple of months ago in Westmoreland that give him Westmoreland Eastern, give him Westmoreland Central, and give him Westmoreland Western, and he will deliver for the people of Westmoreland,” reiterated Hayles.

In the Westmoreland Western constituency, Morland Wilson, who won the seat on a JLP ticket, received 6,148 votes to defeat the PNP’s Dr Wykeham McNeill, who obtained 5,095 votes. In the upcoming election, the JLP’s councillor for the Sheffield Division Dr Garfield James, will replace Wilson as the standard bearer.

In the Westmoreland Central constituency, George Wright, the sitting MP who won the seat on a JLP ticket, obtained 8,477 in comparison to 7,288 for PNP’s Dwayne Vaz.

On the other hand, for the Westmoreland Eastern constituency, the JLP’s sitting MP Daniel Lawrence obtained 4,862 to defeat the PNP’s Luther Buchanan, who obtained 4,851.

— Anthony Lewis