KINGSTON, Jamaica – The ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), is preparing for its 81st annual conference to be held on Sunday with high ranking officials saying the stage will be set for what they say will be a crucial part of the party’s bid to secure an unprecedented third consecutive term.
According to the party’s deputy leader, Desmond McKenzie, the mass gathering will seek to reinforce that the JLP has been fully active in implementing policies that improve the lives of Jamaicans.
He says the conference, which will be the last staging in the run up to the next parliamentary election, will deliver the party’s intentions to the masses, free of political gamesmanship.
“We’re coming with a strong, clear message that will speak to the direction of the country,” he said, adding that more policies to improve the lives of Jamaicans will be outlined.
For the smooth running of the event, McKenzie said no weapons, including firearms, will be permitted at the venue.
“We will not be allowing anything that could be considered dangerous inside the National Arena. The symbol of the Jamaican Labour Party is the bell…. We will be ensuring that party supporters have enough bells,” he said, noting that vuvuzelas will not be allowed inside.
The vuvuzela is a plastic horn that became popular in South Africa in the 1990s, and its popularity in use worldwide came after the staging of the 2010 World Cup in that African country.
McKenzie, outlined that bells – the traditional symbol of the party, will be provided for supporters at the National Arena on Sunday.
The JLP deputy leader who was speaking at a press briefing earlier this week, said the annual conference will be held under the theme “Active and Strong” .
The JLP customarily holds its conference in November, while the opposition People’s National Party (PNP) usually hosts its event in September.
The Holness administration is wrapping up its fourth year in this term, and is in the process of pulling out all the stops ahead of the next parliamentary polls are due by September 2025.
Sunday’s conference is being held following Friday’s by-elections.
Following the preliminary count, the Jamaica Labour Party claimed parliamentary seats in Southern Trelawny and St Andrew North Western.
The election saw the return of Marissa Dalrymple Philibert to the House of Representatives in her old South Trelawny seat, having amassed 4,146 votes to 1,434 for her challenger.
While Duane Smith claimed the St Andrew North Western seat which was once held by his father Derrick, and which was recently vacated by Finance Minister Dr Nigel Clarke with 1,863 votes to Carl Marshall’s 111.
By-elections were also held for vacant municipal divisions of Morant Bay in in the eastern parish St Thomas and Aenon Town in the southern parish of Clarendon. The PNP was victorious in the Morant Bay and Aenon Town Divisions in the by-elections.
The PNP’s Delroy Dawson defeated the JLP’s Suzette Barton by 54 votes to claim the Aenon Town division in the Clarendon Municipal Corporation, with 1,646 votes to 1,592.
The win for the has resulted in a tie in the Clarendon Municipal Corporation just months after the JLP had won the division in the Local Government polls.
Rosemarie Shaw of the PNP defeated the JLP’s Winston Downie to retain the Morant Bay Division in St Thomas for the opposition tallying 2,096 votes to 1,978 for her challenger.
