PNP not running a frivolous campaign, says Dr Dayton Campbell
Published:Tuesday | July 1, 2025 | 12:11 AMAdrian Frater/Gleaner Writer
Western Bureau:
Dr Dayton Campbell, the People’s National Party (PNP) general secretary, says his party wants to form the next Government of Jamaica because it wants to fix the country’s infrastructure so that the people can enjoy a better quality of life.
“I hear them talking about Mark Golding this and Mark Golding that, if dem think we a run election based on who born yah and who white versus who black, dem a mek a sad mistake,” said Campbell, who was addressing a PNP divisional conference in Frome, Westmoreland, on Sunday. “We a run election based on how we a go fix road, give people water, give people employment, cut poverty rate, fix hospital. A dat we a run election on.”
Campbell used the opportunity to dismiss claims that the PNP is only campaigning on is corruption, albeit noting that the party feels obligated to speak out against corruption, saying it is robbing the people of opportunities they should get.
“They are trying to spread this argument that the only thing we are campaigning on is corruption. It is not true. It is not true,” said Campbell.” However, it is true that corruption is a part of it and we a bun a fire pon corruption, that is true, but it’s not the only thing that we are campaigning on.”“I am putting it to you that the people who are saying we should not campaign on corruption are more a part of the problem than the solution, because corruption robs opportunities,” said Campbell. “When the Government corruptly takes away the money from the people, it does not leave that money to buy one extra bed to put down a de hospital. It does not leave that money to buy extra chairs and desks [to] put in the classroom so that yu pickney can learn. It does not leave that money to ensure that the roads that you drive on, yu nuh haffe a service yu car every week and yu front end a lick out.”
In responding to the persons who are raising concerns about Opposition Leader Mark Golding ‘Jamaicaness’, Campbell said that, in checking on when Golding’s Jamaican passport was stamped, Transport Minister Daryl Vaz should have also used the opportunity to check where he was born.
“How Daryl Vaz could a go check and find out when Mark Golding gets stamped in his passport? Then why him no go down a RGD (Registrar General’s Department) and pull up Mark Golding birth certificate weh show seh him born at the University Hospital of the West Indies?” asked Campbell. “They want to reduce the politics in the country to a campaign about things that don’t impact on the lives of the people.”
Campbell also took issue with the Government’s claim about unemployment being at the lowest level in history.
“They’re running around saying all sorts of things. Talking about unemployment is at the lowest in the history, when dem a count a person who is working for one hour for the week as being employed. They running around saying that when we have 700,000 persons in the country who are of employment age who are not in a job and not looking for a job.”
In making a mockery of the employment figures, Campbell used the recent promotion by KFC, where thousands of Jamaicans showed up for an extra piece of chicken in a special deal that was on offer.
“How unemployment deh a three per cent and KFC a give weh $1,000 worth of chicken and de whole place pack up? The people, they never have to work?” asked Campbell. “A thousand dollars [and] something fe de meal deal; and dem weh seh only three per cent unemployment rate inna the country and the country almost lock ... for the $1,000 worth a chicken.”