Is the PNP afraid of Holness?
Published:Sunday | May 25, 2025 | 12:12 AM
As Jamaica gears up for a high-stakes general election, the opposition People’s National Party (PNP) is making it clear: they’re not intimidated by Prime Minister Andrew Holness or his chances of securing a third term for the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).
The PNP’s Natalie Neita Garvey says there is “absolutely no fear whatsoever” when it comes to Holness, adding that the local government elections of February 2024 had signalled that her party was on the right track and will take the next election.
“We are not afraid of Andrew Holness,” she quipped during a Gleaner Editors’ Forum at the newspaper’s Kingston offices last week.
“I know for a fact that the people are looking for more than just green Clarks, ... hype and pronouncements in an election year and cutting ribbons because they are now trying to change the narrative,” she said.
In the lead-up to previous elections, Holness became known for campaigning in signature Clarks shoes – a symbol of his grassroots outreach and dubbed affectionately ‘Brogad’ by supporters. This time, the JLP’s message has shifted from the ‘Prosperity’ mantra of 2016 and 2020 to a new slogan: ‘Choose Jamaica’.
Despite the image and branding efforts, the PNP believes the momentum is now in their favour.
PNP General Secretary Dr Dayton Campbell reinforced Neita Garvey’s remarks, saying there is “zero fear factor” when it comes to Holness.
According to Campbell, the Holness-led JLP polled 20,000 fewer votes than the Mark Golding-led PNP in the February 2024 local government elections.
“Put another way, Mark Golding polled 20,000 more votes than Holness,” he said.
Campbell said the PNP won more divisions than the JLP in that election, taking 115 divisions to the JLP’s 113. He pointed out that the JLP went into the local government election with 128 divisions.
“So I can’t see on what basis we could be afraid. We are not afraid of the husband, we are not afraid of the wife. We went into Kintyre and took away that division and KSAMC,” he said, emphasising that the PNP has renewed energy and growing support base.
“There is absolutely no fear factor that is there. We know what we are about. We are organised and have re-energised our base and our people are calling for an election date to be announced,” Campbell added.
Still, Holness and the JLP remain confident, highlighting key economic achievements under their administration. The prime minister has touted a range of indicators: a drop in the debt-to-GDP ratio to 68.7 per cent, a fall in unemployment from 13.7 per cent in 2016 to a historic low of 3.5 per cent, and stable inflation management.
Further bolstering the JLP’s economic case, the Planning Institute of Jamaica recently reported that the national poverty rate declined to 8.2 per cent in 2023 – the lowest since records began in 1989. This compares to 16.7 per cent in 2021. No study was done in 2022 due to the pandemic.
While the JLP focuses on its governance record and economic gains, the PNP is betting that a shift in public sentiment and a hunger for new leadership will carry it to victory.