Ann-Marie Campbell | Step aside, PJ

It is ironic that the man under whose leadership the People’s National Party (PNP) started to decline is the same person who showed up at the party’s recently held annual conference to drive the final nail in its coffin. Skilled at winning elections, P.J. Patterson held this country at ransom for 18 long years, leaving in his trail a mess for Portia Simpson Miller to clean up.

Yes, Mr Patterson, you built some highways, houses, schools and other noteworthy infrastructure that form the greater part of your legacy. However, there is still a huge question mark hanging over your management of the economy, in particular. Your handover was in no way as smooth as Manley’s to you, as you watched the entitled ‘doctors’ of the party in a bitter fight against a less-educated but beloved Portia, whose time had come. She won.

But then, she lost the general election and ‘Dr A’, in the form of Peter Phillips, once again rose to make it known that she was unworthy by mounting a challenge to remove her as Comrade leader a mere two years after she had ascended to the post. I do not recall any form of vociferous intervention from you, an influential former leader then. Again, she won.

Finally, given her own mandate as prime minister in 2011, she sat at the helm as Dr Phillips performed creditably as minister of finance. Together, the arch-rivals found the formula. The fledgling economy was finally being fixed! Notwithstanding, in 2016, she lost.

Phillips’ time had finally come. ‘Mr Fix-it’, the politician with the Midas touch, was finally getting the place that was due to him, as Comrade Leader. But, it turned out that this very brilliant and hard worker was a poor leader. Weakness exposed, many Comrades grew increasingly concerned at the prospect of being in the wilderness.

Painfully obvious

Enter karma, and Peter Bunting, himself a winner like Patterson, mounts a challenge against Phillips for the top job. It was another bitterly fought PNP leadership race, and many called for the intervention of Patterson and Simpson Miller, but the silence was deafening! Bunting lost.

What became painfully obvious is the fact that the PNP had not healed ever since the 2006 leadership race, and the division has got progressively worse with every leadership race that ensued. All eyes were on last week’s annual conference.

The beloved Portia was noticeably absent from this event.Having turned up at Dr Kenneth Baugh’s funeral days earlier, we knew she was alive and well. So, where was she?

But, alas, Patterson turned up in all his glory to defend Phillips’ leadership, telling the audience, “Those who want to turn ‘Peter can’t win’ into a self-fulfilling prophecy, step aside. Those who want to lose, sit down. Those who want to win, stand up!” Such a careless and utterly divisive statement must have been bruised Rise United supporters, who by now are bent on further distancing themselves from the PNP.

Mr Patterson, with all due respect, your speech was disappointing and has done more harm than good. You may as well have stayed away from the event like Portia did. As the saying goes, “If you have nothing good to say, remain silent.” As a matter of fact, step aside. Sit down!

Ann-Marie Campbell is a marketing communications practitioner. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and marieanncampbell@gmail.com.