PM says she’ll bear no malice towards opponents after elections
Santa Cruz, St Elizabeth – Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller assured supporters late Thursday that regardless of any bitterness that may surround the current political campaign she will bear no malice towards those who oppose her following upcoming parliamentary elections.
Referring to those she described as the “man in green (Opposition Leader Bruce Golding) and his few friends”, Simpson Miller said those now supporting the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) already knew that they would have nothing to fear should her ruling People’s National Party (PNP) retain power.
“.the few friends know that Portia is a principled person, and that Portia is not a vindictive person and it doesn’t matter what, Portia will be prime minister for all Jamaican people, even those who do not like me, even those who persecute me .,” Simpson Miller, her voice drowned out by thunderous applause, told a large crowd in Lacovia, North-West St Elizabeth.
The rally, which capped a tour of South-West St Elizabeth, was used by the prime minister to boost the PNP’s candidate in North-West St Elizabeth, Ann Marie Warburton, and to formally open the PNP’s office in the constituency.
Warburton, who is up against JC Hutchinson, the only JLP member of parliament in St Elizabeth, took up the mantle earlier this year following the withdrawal from the race of Lloyd Myrie, who was subsequently arrested on a sexual offence charge.
Simpson Miller, who started her day in St Elizabeth with the commissioning of a US$3.5-million irrigation scheme in Pedro Plains, said many of her opponents were upset because as prime minister she “reflected” the majority of the Jamaican people.
“.because I am a reflection of all of you standing here tonight – the majority of Jamaicans – dem vex because they don’t want to see you occupy Jamaica House,” declared Simpson Miller.
She joined the raging debate about political polls by attacking the decision by Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart’s Gorstew Ltd to withhold publication of the results of a recent Stone Poll which allegedly showed the PNP with a big lead over the JLP.
Gorstew had argued that the poll results were leaked prior to being delivered to them and had therefore lost their news value.
In the process of attacking Gorstew’s decision, Simpson Miller appeared to make a connection between that and the current controversy surrounding the broadcast by Nationwide News of an alleged “stale poll” showing the JLP with a constituency by constituency lead.
“The only thing I want to say about poll is if they are going to go back to last year’s poll when they have a poll, a Stone Poll, that they cannot publish because it look too good for the PNP and it look too good for Portia, then I don’t think they believe the Jamaican people would even listen or pay them the time of day for any poll they want to come with. The fact that they cannot publish the last Stone Poll, I don’t want to hear anything about any poll from any of them,” said the prime minister.
Noting Gorstew’s explanation that the Stone Poll results were withheld because of the leaking of the information, Simpson Miller pointed to what she suggested were other leaked results which were published nonetheless.
But, she said, “we not fussing about it, is their poll, they don’t want to publish it they do not have to publish it because . they can tell man what to do, but they cannot tell God what to do, and they cannot tell the majority of Jamaicans what to do.”
She reiterated that she would not be beholden to any special interest group. “I am not in any body’s pocket because if you can be bought you will be bossed and I (have) indicated that I will not sell the People’s National Party and I would never sell the Government of Jamaica to any special interest grouping.,” she said.
Rejecting what she suggested was an allegation that she wanted people to “fight against one another”, Simpson Miller said the majority of Jamaicans of all class backgrounds had actually lost interest in much of what her opponents were saying.
“The majority of Jamaicans not (interested) in you and your foolishness and your rubbish; The upper class in Jamaica not into the foolishness and the rubbish; the middle class not into the foolishness and the rubbish, the working class not into the foolishness and the rubbish,” she declared.
Leading a frenzied chorus “nah change nuh course” – a take-off from a JLP television ad criticising her administration – Simpson Miller said Jamaicans were satisfied with the work her Government had done and would return the PNP to political power.
The elections are due before November but are widely expected to take place next month.
