Can the PNP maintain its popularity?

The main presentation by the president of the People's National Party (PNP), Portia Simpson Miller, at the 73rd annual conference at the National Arena last weekend has brought into sharp focus the urgent need for the Opposition to coherently outline whether it has any real and tangible plans for Jamaica if it forms the next government.

The PNP needs to do more than simply recite the issues it has been profiling as failure of the Government, in order to maintain its momentum.

There are signs by virtue of Mrs Simpson Miller's presentation that the party hopes to ride on the Manatt mess; the Jamaica Development Infrastructure Programme; joblessness; and other perceived failures of the JLP administration to get on the good side of the public.

Mrs Simpson Miller is usually colourful and dynamic. This time around, she lacked dynamism and was anything but convincing. But even worse, her speech was too generalised, long, rambling and lacked cohesiveness.

Her speechwriter/s clearly did her a grave injustice. I suspect that the thousands of supporters, not to mention the vast number of other Jamaicans, who had looked forward to her presentation were not able to come away with a saleable item.

In short, the PNP president's address was no clearer than the Progressive Agenda that has been vaunted to rescue Jamaica.

Interestingly, that document is being described as the philosophical framework guiding the policy of the PNP.

Mrs Simpson Miller's preamble was too long, lasting in excess of 30 minutes, as she sought to single out a great number of persons in attendance at the annual conference.

By the time she was done with the introductory remarks, she seemed to have lost many Comrades who noticeably strolled outside the arena. Less than halfway through the presentation, the National Arena was half-empty.

Mrs Simpson Miller did not seem to notice.

As she ventured into what was supposed to be the substance of her presentation, the PNP president launched into a lamentation of criticisms of the governing party and spoke in highly philosophical and vague terms about a few proposals that the next PNP administration would pursue.

anticlimax

Mrs Simpson Miller spoke to the issue of employment at length, but the specifics were absent. She also highlighted the intention of her administration to build a new children's hospital in western Jamaica.

The presentation turned out to be an anticlimax of what was a well-organised annual conference. It was evident that much thought was put into the planning and preparation of the confab, likely to be the last before the next general election.

Strict security arrangements ensured the maintenance of order.

Some of the items, traditionally on the agenda of the public session of the annual conference - such as the presentations of candidates and addresses by the four vice-presidents - were sacrificed, to facilitate the very popular, these days, K.D. Knight and the campaign director, Dr Peter Phillips, and former PNP president and Prime Minister P.J. Patterson to facilitate Mrs Simpson Miller's presentation at approximately 2:30 p.m.

Enjoying a lead

The PNP continues to be buoyed by the success of the bus tour less than two months ago and subsequent polls showing that it was enjoying a significant lead over the JLP.

The party is confident that it will pull off another historic victory by defeating a one-term administration.

The obvious challenge is to maintain the popularity it has garnered through the missteps of the governing party.

It is evident by the pronouncements from many in the party, including the General Secretary Peter Bunting, that victory in the next election is a forgone conclusion.

The question that naturally emerges in this scenario is whether the PNP is content to maintain its popularity, hoping that the JLP will continue to falter, while the Opposition offers no real practical hope for a brighter future for Jamaicans.

The PNP is clearly in a haste to have the electoral gates released, but certainly, it must keep in mind that it is tasked to stay ahead of the JLP for perhaps another 12 months.

Gary Spaulding is a journalist. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and gary.spaulding@gleanerjm.com.