Former Jamaica Labour Party Member of Parliament Verna Parchment addresses the crowd at a People's National Party meeting in North West St. Andrew on Monday night. -Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer
Published in the Jamaica Gleaner: Wednesday | August 15, 2007
Former Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Member of Parliament Verna Parchment has again endorsed Portia Simpson Miller for the job of Prime Minister.
Mrs. Parchment, who flipped from the JLP and joined the People's National Party (PNP) a year and a half ago, said Mrs. Simpson Miller has demonstrated strength in leadership. She was speaking at a PNP spot meeting in Maverley, North West St. Andrew where Jermaine Martin is trying to unseat JLP deputy leader Derrick Smith.
Mrs. Parchment recalled when, in April 2004, Mrs. Simpson Miller abstained from voting on an Opposition motion criticising the government' budgetary allocation to the fire service. The motion had been put forward as a result of Mrs. Simpson Miller's (then Minister of Local Government) revelations to the Opposition during a sitting of the Standing Finance Committee examining the 2004/2005 Budget.
The controversial abstention set off a firestorm of praise and criticism of Mrs. Simpson Miller, punctuated by public demonstrations of anger from Government Ministers Maxine Henry-Wilson, K.D. Knight and Dr. Wykeham McNeill.
Woman of strength
"I wrote her a note and I said to her that I am so pleased of the way you stood up and it showed me that you are a woman of strength and a woman that love the Jamaican people," said Mrs. Parchment, who represented the North West St. Ann seat as a JLP MP then.
She added: "I could not stay in the Jamaica Labour Party because I see a leader here who is going to put Jamaica first, not a leader who is going to put party first."
Mrs. Parchment said Mrs. Simpson Miller "is the best person at this time to run this country and if she was not the best person I would not be here."
A woman, PNP region three Chairman Phillip Pauwell introduced as professor Karen Dunkley from the Jamaican Diaspora, said Jamaicans in Miami are depending on locals to return the PNP to government.
Showdown
Meanwhile, despite most analysts concurring that she lost to (JLP Leader) Bruce Golding in the leadership debate Saturday, Mrs. Simpson Miller and Anthony Hylton are adamant that she won the clash.
"I was there at the showdown on Saturday night and I don't care what the media want tell unno seh ... she took the best and she gave the best," Mr. Hilton said. "Di lick dem a nuh some likkle lick ... a some big lick di man (Golding) get."
For her part, Mrs. Simpson Miller said she won the debate and claimed Mr. Golding knew nothing about foreign affairs.
