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PNP seeks to WOW electorate at 81st annual conference

Published:Thursday | September 19, 2019 | 12:00 AM
Julian Robinson, general secretary of the People’s National Party (PNP), looks on as party chairman Fitz Jackson addresses members of the media during a PNP pre-annual conference press briefing at the PNP headquarters in St Andrew yesterday.

The People’s National Party (PNP), on its 81st birthday yesterday, announced that it would be seeking to ‘WOW’ the electorate ahead of the next general elections, beginning Sunday, the final day of the party’s annual conference.

The acronym, according to PNP General Secretary Julian Robinson, stands for Work, Organise, Win – the theme for the 2019 conference.

“This was chosen as it best describes where we are now in our renewal process. We have been focusing on strengthening our organisation and constituencies by putting new candidates in place and a support system of workers to ensure that we are election ready in all our seats,” Robinson told journalist at the party’s Old Hope Road, St Andrew, headquarters.

The private session of the PNP’s delegates-only conference will be held on Saturday at the Karl Hendrickson Auditorium at Jamaica College.

Party heads say they are expecting 2,900 delegates to attend the private session.

Said Robinson: “We will discuss far-reaching policies and programmes, some of which were in a covenant document which was developed last year after a series of consultations both within the party and outside the party across the island. The covenant is to be ratified by annual conference as it will become the base of the party’s manifesto as we prepare for the eventuality of a general election.”

The PNP said that they would also confirm and publish changes to the party’s constitution in time for the conference.

The public session will be held on Sunday at the National Arena, with a scheduled 10 a.m. start time, with party President Dr Peter Philips to deliver the main address about 1:30 p.m.

all represented

“We are expecting a large turnout of Comrades, and all categories of the party will be represented – from our members of parliament, caretakers, councillor caretakers, mayors, senators, group delegates, supporters. All throughout the membership of the party will be there,” Robinson said.

The PNP said that they are moving into the second phase of its annual conference following the internal presidential elections.

The final cost of the conference has not been ascertained, but Robinson said that using Jamaica College on Saturday had nothing to do with the party being short on funding.

Robinson said that the facilities at JC were convenient and production set-up at the National Arena for the public session would commence from Friday.

During and following the recent presidential election, several complaints were levelled at Ardenne High School for the traffic congestion along Ardenne Road.

Robinson, however, asserted that based on planning and dialogue with the police, the PNP was confident the situation would be better handled.