JPP’s bold bid to win over disillusioned voters

WESTERN BUREAU:

In a bold declaration, Pastor Robert Rainford, general secretary of the Jamaica Progressive Party (JPP), claims his party is ready to capture the attention and trust of an electorate increasingly disillusioned with Jamaica’s major political players – the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the People’s National Party (PNP).

Rainford believes that widespread voter apathy is fertile ground for the JPP’s appeal, positioning his party as the answer for those frustrated with the current two-party system.

Reflecting on the 2020 general election, where only 37 per cent of the electorate turned out to give the JLP a 49-14 landslide victory over the PNP, Rainford is convinced that his party’s presence on the ballot could change the political landscape.

“If you look at the non-committed voters, you have anywhere between 63 per cent and 71 per cent available, so what a third party needs to do is to interest that body of electors,” he explained.

“We are upbeat that we have a good message, and we believe that once we get out there, people are going to come in droves to us, so we are gearing up,” Rainford confidently told The Gleaner, undeterred by suggestions that Jamaicans may be wary of a third-party option.

Registered before last election

In July 2020, the JPP was formally registered with the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ), making it Jamaica’s fourth official party under the leadership of Gilbert Alexander Edwards. However, it chose not to contest the September 2020 general election, instead opting to build its base quietly.

Now the party thinks it is ready for the upcoming general election, constitutionally due by September 2025.

Rainford attributes the party’s confidence to its ambitious manifesto, pledging debt reduction, a minimum wage increase, and the abolition of income tax.

“We are offering a new vision for Jamaica, one that prioritises the needs of the people and addresses the issues that matter most to them,” he added.

Though a recent Don Anderson public opinion poll indicated that a high percentage of Jamaicans remain sceptical of third-party viability – 62.6 per cent said they would not vote for a third party, while 21.3 per cent were unsure – Rainford remains hopeful.

“We agree with the results of the poll, but once we get out there, we will change that narrative,” he asserted.

albert.ferguson@gleanerjm.com