PEOPLE’S National Party President Mark Golding, and other senior members of the party, led a small group of Comrades in an impromptu celebration Sunday night after Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness announced the date for the country’s next general election.

Comrades started gathering at the party’s Old Hope Road headquarters from early Sunday evening as they eagerly awaited the announcement of the date.

“We just want him to call it so we can end the bondage that the country has been under for the past nine years,” one Comrade, who gave his name as Dave, told the Jamaica Observer.

“If him [Holness] call it for the 3rd, the 4th, the 5th or any time him a guh lose — and Jamaica will get a prime minister who can fix everything that them bruk down,” added Dave.

The minute Holness announced the September 3 date the PNP supporters erupted into loud cheers as the party’s campaign song Blood and Fire Comrades rang out from one of the campaign vehicles.

Golding emerged from inside the office to greet the Comrades who were celebrating that, “Time Come”.

“Obviously they were running scared — because no Government leaves it for the 11th hour — and really, the election called itself,” said Golding as he argued that Holness was backed into a corner as he was running out of time.

Constitutionally, Parliament would have been dissolved on September 15, five years after it first met following the 2020 General Election.

The prime minister would then have a maximum of three months to call the election.

In his charge to the small group of Comrades, whose decibels exceeded their numbers, Golding declared that they will now have to “step up the thing”.

“We will be on the road and will be continuing to take our message of hope to the people. And I say to each of you in your constituency, carry the message far and wide and let the people understand what we plan to do and how we plan to make a better life for the people of Jamaica,” said Golding.

“Our plans are solid, our plans are relevant, our plans attack the real issues that are of concern to the people of this country. We have the capacity, the will, and the determination to execute on our plans when we form Government,” added Golding.

He urged the Comrades to do the work and organise in their constituencies, “and once we do what we have to do, we are unstoppable”.

The PNP president added: “There is no way they can stop us now because we are ready and we are marching on to progress.”

Confident Comrades at the party’s Old Hope Road headquarters celebrate as they welcome the announcement of the date for the general election by Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness on Sunday.

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