WHITEHOUSE, Westmoreland — Mark Golding on Tuesday admitted that the People’s National Party (PNP) made errors that cost it to lose all three seats in Westmoreland in the 2020 General Election and promised residents that the Opposition party would make amends in time for the next parliamentary vote.

“As the general secretary said, time come for the People’s National Party to show new respect for the people of Westmoreland. The people of Westmoreland have been with us for years and years and we slipped up and they showed us they didn’t like that, and we’re back,” Golding, the PNP president, told party supporters on the first leg of his tour of the eastern and central sections of the parish to drum up support ahead of the February 26 local government election.

Golding said the people can expect a new approach this time around.

“We are back, and we are back with a new vibes and a better vibes,” he stressed as he sought to convince orange-clad supporters that change is coming.

He promised that the PNP, if elected, will do its best to be the Government the people are anticipating.

“The next PNP Government will be a Government for the people, of the people, with the people. We will govern in the true spirit of Michael ‘Joshua’ Manley because we know that the people of Jamaica want a Government that cares for those who need care from their government; a government of integrity; a government that you can have trust and confidence in,” he explained.

He said people are fed-up with the sitting Government.

“They’re tired of the leaders that scrape the monies for themselves and their cronies. They’re tired of leaders that lie and deceive the people all the time,” the Golding argued.

One party supporter, who identified herself as Trishauna Haywood, told the
Jamaica Observer that she is confident the PNP will regain power in Westmoreland.

“PNP is taking it back it. We are tired of the sufferation; we need better road, street lights, and we want back the Shrewsbury bun factory ’cause we need work in the community. [Prime Minister] Andrew [Holness] have to go. Wi tired a dem; a pure empty promises. We can’t even buy pampers [because] every week pampers and feeding raise,” Haywood claimed.

In the 2020 general election the JLP ended the PNP’s 30-year reign in Westmoreland, taking all three parliamentary seats in what turned out to be a landslide victory.

Political analysts had noted that poor stewardship of the parish by the PNP representatives at the time contributed to the party’s poor showing at the polls.