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Letter of the Day | Change for society but not for the PNP? Rubbish!

Published:Wednesday | June 12, 2019 | 12:00 AM

THE EDITOR, Sir:

When has change been readily accepted by the majority? The People’s National Party (PNP) held power for 18 consecutive years, with many crying out for a change, while others said “Change what, PNP country?” That was then, and now is now.

It seemed like only yesterday “the PNP lost an election they were meant to win, while the JLP won an election they were meant to lose”, as coined by Damion Crawford in his usual flair. Guess what, things and times have changed. A lot has transpired since then and the PNP has still not repositioned, renewed, or re-energised itself. Enough is enough.

It matters not the number of followers you have on social media. How many of your followers are seasoned voters for the PNP? What matters is the influence you have at the polls. And from where we are standing, the conversion has been ZERO for the PNP.

PARTY PHILOSOPHY

The philosophy of the party is what separates the party from others – no change needed. However, the messenger, the packaging, and the delivery must change in accordance with the wave of the time. The leader must be able to set the pace based on information from the ground.

As we can no longer continue to use the donkey as the sole means of transportation of goods in the rural parishes, in like manner, we can no longer continue to chant from the podium in rallies as if we were living in the 1960s. That audience is either dead, migrated, or has lost all interest in politics. The voters you need do not care about your yesterdays, and no amount of intellectual speeches with flair will force them to the polls.

Ambition is apparently now a curse word. Who among you doesn’t have ambition to elevate themselves in their chosen profession? I guess the former POTUS Obama’s historical accomplishment was not as a result of personal ambition?

This is a bold and necessary move by Peter Bunting. Dr Peter Phillips felt the need when he had the opportunity to do so, and our former PM Portia Simpson Miller was never one to back down. No one in this country can ever question Dr Peter Phillips’ outstanding service to this country.

Seasoned politicians or not, stirring up a little trouble here and there, and having differences are all part of human existence. ‘Crab in a barrel’ is always in the centre. Many times, when you try to force things in to a barrel to hold what you want in place, it just keeps resisting.

Peter Bunting is now ready. Get ready, as one way or another, repositioning, renewal and re-energising will follow.

DIANE SHARPE