PNPYO launches election countdown

Erica Virtue, Senior Gleaner Writer

Prime Minister Bruce Golding is yet to give a signal that he is ready to call a general election, but that has not stopped the youth arm of the People's National Party (PNP) from moving into election mode.

Yesterday, the PNP Youth Organisation (PNPYO) set its election clock ticking by launching what it has dubbed a "Reasons to Believe" campaign.

On what was the fourth anniversary of the Jamaica Labour Party's (JLP) 2007 election victory, the PNPYO declared that there were 365 days left in the life of the Government.

At a mini-rally at the PNP's Old Hope Road headquarters in St Andrew, the young people of the party made it clear that the election-watch launch was not being done by the party.

Ricardo 'Taz' James, the general secretary of the PNPYO, said barring any unforeseen catastrophe, it is one year to go to the end of the Golding administration.

James said he would not be prescriptive or descriptive of the four years of the JLP regime, suggesting that the verdict was out on that.

Instead he said the PNPYO was reporting for active duty and the initiative was to awake, activate, and propagate the mindset of the youth to participate in the future of the country.

"We awake you by the sounding of the trumpet to awaken your consciousness. We must determine what we want for Jamaica, and we ask that you activate yourself by answering the call that beckons. Join for further duty from all spheres of life by giving of self and service," James said.

Chairman of the proceedings, Roger Bent, the former president of the University of the West Indies Guild of Students, said the occasion marked the final 365 legal days of the Bruce Golding administration and the country was now in election mode.

Bent used the occasion to highlight the problems he believes the young people have experienced since the Golding administration came into power after 18 years of the PNP government.

According to James, there have been no benefits for the thousands of dollars people are forced to pay for income tax.

He said the money taken in taxes could be better used for child support for many fathers who cannot support their children.

James pointed to the millions of dollars spent on the Manatt commission of enquiry into the extradition proceedings against Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, and argued that he was forced to pay for a commission that yielded nothing.

Young Comrade, Denton Ellis, urged youthful supporters of the party to report for duty, saying the confidence of the country had been eroded by the JLP government, and there was need for the restoration of hope.

Not advocating overthrow

While making reference to regime overthrows by the people of Libya, Egypt, Tunisia, and Syria, Ellis said he was not advocating an overthrow, but for the young Comrades to use their power to make change.

"Awake to the winds of change," Ellis urged the PNPYO supporters who journeyed from across the island for the launch.

PNP vice-president, Dr Fenton Ferguson, in bringing greetings from the party, used the occasion to congratulate the youth organisation on the initiative, and a number of others, which he said forced the party and the Government to listen.

"We have always had independent thought as it relates to our young people. We are not a party which says the youth organisation has to follow the line. We are saying to the young people, continue to make your contribution, continue to deal with scholarship as it relates to education," said Ferguson.

He lamented what he claimed was the continued deterioration in the island's health sector, saying the policy was "free", but no "medicines were available".

According to Ferguson, the PNP's spokesman on health, even where medicine was available, there were no pharmacists to dispense them, and patients were forced to go to private pharmacies.