MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Opposition Leader and People’s National Party (PNP) President Mark Golding says following months of campaigning across the country, the party has gained momentum ahead of the September 3 polls.

“We have the momentum. We have been on the ground for months all over Jamaica. We have been speaking to people about our plans. Apparently some people out there are not hearing, but others who are listening are hearing and we have launched our manifesto,” he said in reference to the party’s ‘Jamaica Love’ manifesto, as he moved across Manchester on Wednesday.

“We are continuing to cover the ground and we are going to run through the tape until we form Government,” Golding told the media on Wednesday in Hatfield, Manchester North Western.

When asked about how the party intends to target those who aren’t avid readers, Golding was optimistic about the use of patois.

“We have to be mindful of that and you have to distribute your ideas so that people can hear them and understand them, so we have done a patois version of our manifesto for example. The first time a manifesto is being released in the Jamaican language and I am very proud of that,” he said.

“The individual items that would be of relevance to particular groups, we plan to break out those ideas and let them understand them directly, so they get a good feel for what we are offering,” added Golding.

He said the PNP has its plans regarding how the proposals in its manifesto can be funded should the party form Government.

“We have our own costing of them and I hasten to add that a manifesto is not a budget. A manifesto is a set of policies and programmes for our first term in office, and [how] we phase that and handle that fiscally is a matter for us to determine and we are mindful of our obligations. We are mindful of the fiscal rules [and] of the need to continue the downward trajectory of the public debt. All of those things…” he said.

Golding, who was with Manchester North Western Member of Parliament (MP) Mikael Phillips, explained why the party chose Manchester as its first stop after the date for the election was announced.

“Mikael [Phillips] is a very persuasive MP and he made sure that he was first in line,” said Golding.

Phillips was the only member of the PNP to retain his seat in Manchester and the western side of the country in the September 3, 2020 elections.

However, Golding is adamant that the PNP’s chances of regaining seats in Manchester is high as he predicted “victory in all” four constituencies.

Meanwhile, Mayor of Mandeville and PNP aspirant for Manchester Central Donovan Mitchell said he has been reaching the party’s base across the constituency.

“My team and I, we are doing all that we have to do. We are not leaving any stone unturned. We will be in every crevice and corner of central Manchester pulling out the votes [and] talking to the people,” he said.

Mitchell said if successful at the polls, his focus will be on the plans to renovate the Mandeville market and breathe life into Porus.

“There are a plethora of plans for the young people in Jamaica and in particular in central Manchester. We want to look at opening our community centres. We want to look especially in Porus where we have that centre down there, the Jamaica Welfare Centre, to make sure training is going on and we teach our people to become good entrepreneurs. We will put in more of the HEART/NSTA programmes. We will expand it and we want to look at Porus as a hub for business,” he said.

“We are going to be pulling out all stops to ensure that the market is up and running. We want to have the market repaired, because you can’t have economic activities in a place that is not conducive, it is leaking. We have not gotten any funds to do such work, but when the [PNP] wins the next election Mandeville will be running again and people will see what it is like to have a PNP MP running in central Manchester,” he added.

Mitchell said the PNP is looking to increase its margin of victory.

“We are looking to win with anything over 2,000 votes,” said Mitchell.

The PNP’s tour in Manchester was scheduled to end with a spot meeting in Porus on Wednesday night.

People’s National Party supporter Beverley Grant and her son, Kidon Gordon, a supporter of the Jamaica Labour Party, display unity at Hatfield in Manchester on Wednesday. (Photo: Kasey Williams)

People’s National Party activist and prominent businessman Kenneth “Skeng Don” Black in a motorcade in Manchester on Wednesday. (Photo: Kasey Williams)

Member of Parliament and PNP Vice-President Mikael Phillips (second right) is greeted by a PNP supporter while Opposition Leader and PNP President Mark Golding (second left) poses for a photo with supporters in the background. (Photo: Kasey Williams)

Member of Parliament and PNP Vice- President Mikael Phillips on a tour of Manchester on Wednesday. (Photo: Kasey Williams)