Golding fears disunity, tells candidates in VP race to be like Bunting

While claiming that the upcoming vice-presidential elections in the opposition People’s National Party (PNP) may set the political organization back, Member of Parliament for St Andrew South Mark Golding has urged candidates to put their egos aside and unite.

He made the appeal during the Rae Town Divisional Conference last evening – roughly a week after Damion Crawford declared his intention to seek one of the four Vice President positions. While doing so, Crawford accused the PNP of treating him unfairly, adding that he is tired of being a mere ‘beast of burden’ for the party.

Golding, who did not call names, yesterday cautioned: “What we cannot do comrades is allow our own egos to cause us to be divided. That is when we get weak. That is when we become manipulated by the [Jamaica] Labour Party and the media elements that support them or are bought out by them. So wi have to know wiself and keep wi ego in check. Everything in due season comrades – everything in due season.

“The party is big enough for all a wi if we can play our part and put in an effort, and put in a strength and push things forward,” Golding further said.

MP Mark Golding on a previous occasion. Photo Credit:

He told persons vying for the Vice President posts to use Peter Bunting as an example of someone who put party unity above personal ambition, when he allowed Dr Peter Phillips to become President of the PNP unchallenged.

“Wi never create nuh division and confrontation. Peter Phillips step forward [to become President]; Peter Bunting said him a come on board and work with the thing. That’s why wi never have nuh big division over that. It was a seamless transition from one leader to the next. The man (Bunting) subordinate, put him own ego in check, his own aspirations in check and say is a team thing. PNP needs unity; wi a move forward with that. This VP race, mi want all the people contesting it to check themselves and deal with it the same way – and their supporters too.”

Golding further noted: “It (the internal election) could be a thing weh mash wi down and set wi back and wi nuh want that right now because the labourites dem a gwaan wid enough almshouse inna di country and wi have to be strong to save Jamaica from them.”

Meanwhile, the party’s four Vice President positions are currently held by Dr Fenton Ferguson, Dr Wykeham McNeill, Noel Arscott and Angela Brown-Burke. They are likely to seek re-election.

The other PNP members who publicly declared their intention to contest the vice-presidential poll in September include Senator Damion Crawford, Member of Parliament for Kingston East Phillip Paulwell, and Member of Parliament for Manchester North West Mikael Phillips.

By Horace Mills

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