Mark Wignall | Calm or chaos for the PNP
Published:Thursday | September 5, 2019 | 12:00 AM
Come this Saturday, the moment that political watchers have been waiting on will happen. At its end, People’s National Party (PNP) delegates will either return Dr Peter Phillips to the post of president or the old order will be upset by Peter Bunting becoming the new PNP leader.
There exists a well-known Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) minister who told me a year ago that the JLP would do anything to encourage the permanence of the stay of Peter Phillips as PNP president as he was constantly showing horrible numbers in opinion polls.
A few days ago, he had changed his tone. “If Phillips wins, the very win itself is likely to give him new strength with supporters rallying behind him, while those in charge of the party organisation will be fully in place and ready to hit the road should a campaign develop. Bunting will not have that luxury and is likely to be caught flat-footed if we call an election.”
I thought about what he said, and considered the likelihood that he was sending me in the wrong direction. For strategic purposes.
If sheer enthusiasm was more closely intertwined with winnability, then Bunting is already a winner, but making noise, waving arms, dancing and offering praises to a man are no sure signals of votes secured.
After sending me a clip of a somewhat subdued One PNP meeting with delegates, the strong Bunting supporter said, “Every chance he gets it comes down to something sounding like he is cussing Bunting money in front of poor delegates when almost 70 per cent of them are poor. When will Phillips speak to what he will do for Jamaica, should he win?”
In another clip, Bunting is in a highly charged meeting with delegates and the energy level is close to maximum on the meter. “Here we see one man (Phillips) asking for a chance because him serve long and the other (Bunting) saying we can win.”
Let it go
The bruises caused by the political over-exuberance during the campaign is likely to linger in the PNP for many months after this Saturday’s contest. I hope they leave the animus to gradually dissipate over that time and not carry any of it to the voting booth a few days from now.
The person who was supposed to have arranged a Peter Phillips interview with me was a no-show. Additionally, it could have been that Phillips wanted to be on friendly territory and would find better comfort with a cheerleader.
That said, nothing new as a stunning revelation has come out of the Phillips’ camp. If my JLP friend is 100 per cent correct that a Phillips win will be one of empowerment for him, then only the months which follow will bear out that prediction. Or the lie of it.
“Phillips is a solid man,” said a PNP delegate who would only give his name as Jimmy. We were speaking yesterday morning. Him can’t lose. Him have my vote.”
A female delegate supporting Bunting told me last Tuesday that, “Bunting is on a rescue mission to save the PNP from Peter Phillips. Mi nuh have nothing personal against Phillips, but him is a losing leader. If him win Saturday, di whole a PNP lose. So, whey yu saying? Di party must sacrifice itself fi Peter Phillips? Dat can’t right.”
Those supporting the PNP’s street muscle, especially the factions ‘riding in from the east’, are fully in support of the One PNP Phillips campaign. In the 2008 internal contest those forces were also in support of Peter Phillips.
And, what happened then? He lost. The stakes will be even higher come Saturday.