Mark Golding: Don't dwell on Lisa's JLP past Presidential candidate describes opponent as important part of PNP family

BY HG HELPS Editor-at-Large helpsh@jamaicaobserver.com  Sunday, October 04, 2020

MARK Golding does not support the view by some, that Lisa Hanna's past history of association with the rival Jamaica Labour Party should prevent her from competing for the top post in the People's National Party.

There have been comments over the years that Hanna's history of support for, and connection to the JLP would work against her and make it harder for her to seek to become president of the PNP, which she joined almost a decade and a half ago. All former presidents of the PNP— Norman Manley, Michael Manley, PJ Patterson, Portia Simpson Miller; and the outgoing one, Dr Peter Phillips — were party purists.

Mark Golding & Lisa Hanna of the PNP

But Golding, who, like Hanna, is seeking to become the sixth president of the 82-year-old political organisation when delegates decide in a vote on November 7, defended his colleague's right to make herself available for whatever post that she desires to run for, as long as she is qualified to do so based on the party's book of rules that, among other things, still lists its political philosophy as democratic socialist. more