Holness begs electorate not to abandon the JLP

WESTERN BUREAU:

Somewhat stung by the result of the most recent People’s National Party’s (PNP)-commissioned Don Anderson poll, Prime Minister Andrew Holness is now begging Jamaicans not to turn their backs on his Government and is urging them to remain focused and not get distracted by the political tactics of those seeking to unseat his administration.

In taking issue with the sentiments expressed in the poll, Holness gave the impression that it was because of the PNP’s propaganda and not a fair reflection of the performance of his Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) administration, which has a strong majority in the nation’s Parliament.

“The public looking on will not get to see what is happening. What they will hear are those merchants of negativity who will seek to always decry and spread falsehoods about what the Government is doing,” Holness said, in an obvious jab at the Mark Golding-led PNP.

According to the poll which was conducted between February 17 and 26 by the Don Anderson-led Market Research Services Limited, both the Holness-led Government and the Golding-led PNP opposition were said to be underperforming in their respective duties.

Also embedded in the result of that poll is the shocking closeness in the margin between the PNP and the JLP in their quest to sway the electorate ahead of the next general election. The polls show that the governing JLP would find itself in a tough dogfight with the PNP to form the next government.

The poll stated that when asked which of the two political parties they would support if an election was called now, 28.1 per cent of the respondents picked the PNP, compared with 27.9 per cent who sides with the JLP. The poll survey sample comprised 1,002 registered voters drawn from all 14 parishes. It had a plus or minus three per cent margin of error.

Interestingly, of the respondents polled, 44 per cent said they would cast a ballot if elections were called now while 56 per cent said they would not vote or were unsure if they would.

“They [the electorate] should not drop their hands, they should not turn from the government, but they should keep heart, remain focused, [because] your government is doing a phenomenal job in taking on sometimes, ambitiously, some of these projects,” said Holness during his recent tour of the under-construction Western Children and Adolescents Hospital in Montego Bay.

In outlining ways in which he said the Government is serving Jamaica well, Holness pointed to several major investment projects across the country. It included the ongoing Cornwall Regional Hospital rehabilitation project, the construction of the Western Children and Adolescents Hospital, and the expansion of both the terminal building and the runway of the Sangster International Airport.

According to Holness, the country has not seen the level of investment that is now taking place simultaneously any time in the last 40 years.

“We are doing it now, so we asked for people’s understanding, people’s continued interest, and of course, constructive criticism. But we ask that people as well take into consideration the full picture of what is happening,” said Holness.