Dear Editor,
The long-established perception that the public has of the People's National Party (PNP) as being an organisation that can manage its internal affairs in a civilised and respectable manner has been seriously challenged in recent times. In fact, if one is not too careful, one would believe all of these squabbles are about the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).
From Lisa Hanna's problems in St Ann, to Lloyd B Smith's in St James, then on to Ian Hayle's fight for the regional chairmanship in Hanover to Raymond Pryce's struggles in St Elizabeth, the PNP is having a lot of serious rivalries to quiet down. The lawsuits, roadblocks, name-calling, and insults are well-known characteristics of the JLP that seem to have found root in the PNP.
Interestingly, in all but one of the cases that I mentioned, all the others involve former JLP 'supporters'. Also, notice that in the two cases that are beginning to settle down, in Hanover and St Elizabeth, those backing down are 'original' PNP members. It is the "turn back" JLP members who are determined to fight on, dragging the PNP into further disrepute.
One PNP MP said recently (in not so many words) that one of the reasons the PNP is now facing so many problems is the party accepting too many former JLP members. It is not too difficult to disagree with that claim. Maybe the internal rivalries besetting the PNP is a good sign that the party is being "Labourised".
Michael A Dingwall
michael_a_dingwall@hotmail.com
PNP looking more like the JLP these days
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The long-established perception that the public has of the People's National Party (PNP) as being an organisation that can manage its internal affairs in a civilised and respectable manner has been seriously challenged in recent times. In fact, if one is not too careful, one would believe all of these squabbles are about the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).
From Lisa Hanna's problems in St Ann, to Lloyd B Smith's in St James, then on to Ian Hayle's fight for the regional chairmanship in Hanover to Raymond Pryce's struggles in St Elizabeth, the PNP is having a lot of serious rivalries to quiet down. The lawsuits, roadblocks, name-calling, and insults are well-known characteristics of the JLP that seem to have found root in the PNP.
Interestingly, in all but one of the cases that I mentioned, all the others involve former JLP 'supporters'. Also, notice that in the two cases that are beginning to settle down, in Hanover and St Elizabeth, those backing down are 'original' PNP members. It is the "turn back" JLP members who are determined to fight on, dragging the PNP into further disrepute.
One PNP MP said recently (in not so many words) that one of the reasons the PNP is now facing so many problems is the party accepting too many former JLP members. It is not too difficult to disagree with that claim. Maybe the internal rivalries besetting the PNP is a good sign that the party is being "Labourised".
Michael A Dingwall
michael_a_dingwall@hotmail.com
PNP looking more like the JLP these days
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