Robert Lalah, Staff ReporterTHE HOURS leading up to the announcement of the new People's National Party (PNP) president yesterday were, for many delegates, some of the longest hours they had ever experienced.
Many, if not most of the just under 4,000 delegates eligible to vote in yesterday's election, did so from quite early. Voting started at 9 in the morning with several hundred delegates making their way into Jamaica College to choose their next party president.
After voting, many of the delegates simply hung around the venue or went over to the respective candidates' camps to wait on the big news.
ANIMATED CONVERSATIONS
The wait and the frustration it brought, made for some animated conversations among supporters of opposing camps. A few of Portia Simpson Miller's supporters were heard complaining that the victory party was being delayed, because the announcement of the winner would not be made until 6 o'clock. This provoked a number of Dr. Peter Phillips' supporters who retorted that the wait would be worth it because the National Security Ministers' supporters needed time to prepare for the big celebration that night.
News circulated that a big celebration party was planned for Curphy Place in St. Andrew after the victory announcement.
But, yesterday, the voting went by without any major incident. Police were out in large numbers keeping traffic flowing as best as possible. Despite this however, traffic along Old Hope Road was backed up for several hundred metres during the hours that the voting took place. Police Commissioner Lucius Thomas visited Jamaica College in the afternoon to ensure that all was well.
Supporters used the slightest traces of fatigue on the faces of the candidates, or members of their camps, to predict the outcome of the election.
"Maxine Henry-Wilson not smiling at all. She must get some bad news. That mean Portia gone clear!" shouted one man running out of Phillips' camp from about 10 o'clock.
Another woman was heard saying that she saw Paul Burke, Mrs. Simpson Miller's campaign manager, wiping sweat from his brow. "Heh Heh! Mr. Burke a sweat. You know what dat mean! Phillips gone!"
All this took place long before the announcement was made, with supporters of respective camps insisting that they would have the last laugh at 6 o'clock.
