PNP mourns Comrade, statesman Delano Franklyn

His name was in the wrong order, and one word was out of sync with that of the late United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the American politician and lawyer who served as the 32nd president of that country. Ours was Delano Roosevelt Franklyn, and he too was a president, of many students’ bodies, locally, and regionally.

A staunch protector of the history of his People’s National Party (PNP) and that of its leaders, Delano Franklyn was one of the most trusted and loyal lieutenants of former Prime Minister P.J. Patterson. A custodian of the many speeches of the late former Prime Minister Michael Manley, he served as state minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and used his time to deepen the relationships between Jamaica and Jamaicans outside its borders.

Franklyn died early Friday morning after a battle with leukaemia. He was 63 years old. His passing came just over a month of that of the late Richard Bernal, a former Jamaican ambassador to Washington who died suddenly on January 4 and both were of Patterson’s inner circle.

The PNP, which Franklyn has served for 45 years, in paying tribute, through its general secretary Dr Dayton Campbell, said the party is deeply saddened by the untimely passing of Comrade Delano Franklyn, who succumbed to illness at the University Hospital of the West Indies.

Campbell called Franklyn “a dedicated Fortis man, indefatigable author, accomplished attorney and faithful Comrade.

“As minister of state, Comrade Franklyn established several programmes including the Jamaica Diaspora Conference and the Jamaica Diaspora Foundation. His work as a minister of state strengthened Jamaica’s diplomatic relations with regional and international partners. He was dedicated to the PNP and our movement until the very end. He has served the party and, indeed, the people of Jamaica very well…” said the party’s general secretary.

PNP President Mark Golding also expressed condolences. “We lost a Comrade and statesman. His contribution to our party, country and as an author will be forever remembered. Sincere condolences to his wife Tricia, friends and the legal fraternity,” Golding said.

Former party President Dr Peter Phillips also expressed sadness. “I am deeply saddened by the passing of former Senator Delano Franklyn. He was a patriot who served his people and his country well. His passion, zeal and essential decency will be sadly missed,” said Phillips.

Senator Floyd Morris recalls serving in the Upper House with Franklyn. “I remember him participating in debates in the Senate and he was such a stickler for details. He was very thorough and methodical in his approach to legislative drafting. He was a scholar as manifested in the number of books he has written as well. He brought scholarship into the Senate and I really became very close to him as a senator and when he was seeking to enter representational politics,” Morris told The Gleaner yesterday.

Morris said he served as campaign manager when he tried to unseat Robert Montague in St Mary Western in the 2007 general election. “I remember how specific he was that he did not want to be beholden to anyone. His campaign was funded by what we fundraised, from his pocket and donations from close friends,” said Morris. “His character was impeccable,” added Morris.

Retired Senator and former Minister of Foreign Affair A. J. Nicholson said: “Delano was passionate about the role that generational talent should be made to play in the journey towards the creation of a just society.

“For him, succession planning was one of the key vehicles to be employed to achieve that purpose. The senator’s view was that Jamaica moving to adopt the Caribbean Court of Justice as our final appellate court was impatient of debate,” said Nicholson yesterday.

Franklyn’s bid for representational politics was unsuccessful but his opponent Montague remembered. “He was a very good-natured person and did not harbour any bitterness or vitriol. He had an interest in serving the people of his parish, and we remember him fondly in Western St Mary.

He was a St Mary man whose family was from Aleppo in the parish and I extend my deepest condolences to his immediate family including the deputy chairman of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Aundre Franklin,” said Montague, the JLP’s chairman. Delano was the uncle of Aundre. He served as special adviser to former Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller and was chief adviser to Patterson.