Prime Minister Andrew Holness will not call a general election until the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has completed its internal preparations, party chairman Robert Montague declared on Sunday.
Speaking at a constituency conference in St Catherine East Central, Montague emphasized that while the general election is due by the end of the year, the party is taking a methodical approach to ensure every aspect of its campaign machinery is in place before Holness makes the call.
“Labourites as we prepare for the third term, a whole heap a people a run up on down and we want to say keep calm because your party is slowly getting ready,” he said.
Montague made it clear that the readiness of each polling division (PD) is a non-negotiable step in the process.
“We cannot be ready until every PD is ready until every cluster is ready, so we want every worker to make sure that dem complete them canvass,” he added.
He called on party workers to ensure full mobilisation at all levels of the ground game.
“We want every worker to make sure they have indoor and outdoor agents, runners and supervisors for every PD,” he stated.
Pushing for accountability and personal responsibility within the party’s ranks, Montague stressed that the Prime Minister’s readiness is tied directly to the preparedness of the party’s base.
“Andrew Holness cannot be ready for an election until every PD is ready, so if you know your PD is not ready make sure to go out ah morning with you other workers and get your PD ready,” he said.
Montague also disclosed that the JLP is finalizing its candidate slate, with only four seats remaining to be settled.
“We are putting candidates in place, we now have only four seats left to settle and therefore, in the meantime, everybody has work to do,” he said.
He added that a manifesto committee has been formed and voiced his support for a proposal by Senator Sherine Golding for a women’s health test under the National Health Fund.
“I will sit with the committee and lend his support to the idea,” Montague said.
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