Homophobic Comments By PNP
Perspective:
There is the speculation that a possible General Election is in the air. The Constitution calls for the public to be asked to go to the polls every five years. A government can shorten this period by a snap election if it feels it may be to their advantage to do so. This practice has been utilized repeatedly. It is quite legal to do so. Catching your opponent off guard or ill-prepared for same is the master plan.
Constitutionally
General elections are not due constitutionally until the first quarter of 2021. The Constitution also states that in event of a catastrophe like a natural disaster, epidemic outbreak, like the Coronavirus, a hurricane, earthquake etc. can be used as a legal ground to postpone the election. This would have to be taken to parliament and debated before a decision would be arrived at.
Candidate Selection
Both major political parties, the PNP and the JLP are in the meanwhile have feverishly been trying to find candidates to fill the 63 seats which will be contested. Thirty two (32) seats is the magic figure to form a government.
Homophobic Comments
At a rally held on Sunday evening last in St. Catherine, a number of People’s National Party (PNP) big wigs uttered what has been viewed as homophobic slurs at the sitting JLP MP Minister Alando Terrelonge, a lawyer, who won the seat in the 2016 General Elections which saw the JLP forming, by one seat the government.
Constituency Conference
The disputed constituency is East Central St. Catherine held by Alando Terrelonge who is being challenged by opponent Dr. Del-la-Hay, a newcomer to representational politics for the PNP. Del-a-Hay is a psychiatrist and former Head of the Ministry of Heath.
Perspective:
It is our further perspective that in 2020 for top PNP officials to resort to homophobic slurs to a JLP MP and Minister is distasteful. We note the apology of sorts from the PNP and a further one from MP Mark Golding. We would have appreciated hearing from Dr. Peter Phillips, PNP president who was present at the event.
We are very sad, but all is not lost.
Shame on the PNP they have slipped to a very low level. Is this desperation from “Desperados”?
These types of utterances are inexcusable. This is our perspective. What is yours?
Hopeton O’Connor-Dennie is Senior National & International Correspondent for Vision Newspaper Canada.
