Portia: Pray for Golding
Published:Monday | May 17, 2010 | 12:00 AM
TO THE consternation of a packed room of National Executive Council (NEC) members of the People's National Party (PNP), Portia Simpson Miller yesterday called on the country to pray for embattled Prime Minister Bruce Golding and his family.
She was addressing the NEC at an emergency meeting held at the University of the West Indies, Mona, in the wake of increasing calls by civic and other groups for the resignation of Golding.
"And I call on all the church leaders and all the people of Jamaica to pray for our nation, for the leaders of the People's National Party and for the party, and I call for prayer for Mr Golding, his family and leaders of the JLP and members of the JLP," she said.
This comment, a departure from the cut-throat cussing in local politics, evoked a chorus of grumbling from NEC members.
The party president also invited church leaders to organise a national day of prayer for Jamaica.
"If we (ever) need(ed) prayer, we need it now more than ever."
Prime Minister Golding has been severely criticised following his Manatt confession last Tuesday. After revealing that he sanctioned, in his role as leader of the Jamaica Labour Party, the engagement of the United States law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips to lobby the US government on the treaty dispute, Golding has been bombarded with calls for his resignation.
However, he continues to enjoy the full backing of his Cabinet, government senators and other party officials.