CLARENDON, Jamaica – Former Prime Minister Bruce Golding is throwing his weight behind political newcomer, Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) candidate Pearnel Charles Jr, who is trying to retain the South Eastern Clarendon seat for the party.

Golding, along with former JLP Member of Parliament Rudyard Spencer, was among the handful of individuals allowed within the precincts of the nomination centre at Vere Technical this morning where Charles Jr successfully completed his nomination.

Speaking with OBSERVER ONLINE after that exercise, Golding expressed confidence in Charles Jr.

“I wasn’t able to be here with him when he had the by-elections (March 2020) because I had to be in Guyana for their elections, so I felt I owed him some presence.

“He’s a bright young man, brilliant young  man, and I think he has done extremely well in his short political career and I think he has a tremendous future of service to the country and to whatever extent my presence can ensure his re-election, because he has only been Member of Parliament for a few short months, so whatever I can do to ensure he continues and that Andrew Holness can continue to lead the country,  that I will do,” Golding said.

“Those are my two critical objectives.”

Pearnel Charles Jr,  who is up against the People’s National Party’s (PNP)  Patricia Duncan Sutherland, arrived at the nomination centre at 11:03 am to be nominated. Following the exercise he greeted scores of bell ringing, horn-blowing green clad supporters who converged outside the gate boisterously declaring their support.

“Patricia don’t stand a chance, she don’t have a chance to go Gordon House,  dis a Hugh Lawson Shearer (Jamaica’s third prime minister who successfully contested the seat in the 1967 general elections) seat,” one female supporter declared to an amused trio of police officers.

Security personnel on hand after this morning’s exercise were hard put to manage the traffic that built up outside the school gates. Scores of Labourites, some masked, some unmasked, poured into vehicles and lined the roadways with flagrant disregard for social distancing.

Alicia Dunkley-Willis