#JLP76 | Labourites flood National Arena for annual conference
Published:Sunday | November 24, 2019 | 12:00 AM
Hundreds of Jamaica Labour Party supporters have been filing into Kingston's National Arena for their 76th annual conference, expected to be the final one before general elections, constitutionally due by 2021.
This afternoon, Grenada's Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell will speak ahead of party leader, Prime Minister Andrew Holness.
The conference coincides with high public support for the ruling party as its rival People's National Party seeks to recover from the bruising presidential election between incumbent Dr Peter Phillips and Manchester Central MP Peter Bunting.
But, for the second consecutive year, Holness is facing party faithful at an annual conference after losing a Cabinet minister under a corruption allegations.
In March this year, Holness, lost his education and information minister, Ruel Reid, following allegations of irregularities and financial impropriety at the Ministry of Education and its related agencies.
In July last year, Energy Minister Dr Andrew Wheatley resigned amid corruption allegations involving agencies under his portfolio including Petrojam.
Meanwhile, JLP chairman Robert Montague has said this year's conference will be a “big deal”.
READ: Holness to outline plans to build Jamaica
“Our 76th annual conference is going to be a big deal. This conference will see us engaging our base, hearing from them as we look to begin the long process of reviewing new and innovative policy ideas,” said Montague in prepared responses to The Sunday Gleaner.
He said the party will be assessing its performance in government, and checking to ensure that in the fourth year, it begins the process of candidate assessment and selection.
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