Mark Golding says he will remain PNP leader with party’s confidence
Key Points(5)
- People’s National Party (PNP) president Mark Golding has signaled his intention to remain at the helm of the party, declaring that he will continue to serve as long as members maintain confidence in his leadership.
- Speaking at a PNP post-election event on Thursday, Golding said all but one of the 28 elected MPs — the exception being overseas — have signed a letter affirming their support for him as Opposition Leader.
- He stressed that his commitment to Jamaica and the PNP remains firm.
- “Thus far, all of the MPs who have been elected … have signed a letter confirming their confidence in me and their desire for me to remain as Leader of the Opposition,” Golding said.
- Golding argued the result represented progress, noting the party had doubled its presence in Parliament from 14 seats in the last term.
People’s National Party (PNP) president Mark Golding has signaled his intention to remain at the helm of the party, declaring that he will continue to serve as long as members maintain confidence in his leadership.
Speaking at a PNP post-election event on Thursday, Golding said all but one of the 28 elected MPs — the exception being overseas — have signed a letter affirming their support for him as Opposition Leader. He stressed that his commitment to Jamaica and the PNP remains firm.
“Thus far, all of the MPs who have been elected … have signed a letter confirming their confidence in me and their desire for me to remain as Leader of the Opposition,” Golding said. “I am willing to continue, and plan to continue, to serve my country through the political process as leader of the People’s National Party.”
The remarks came in response to questions on whether he would resign following the September 3 general election, which saw the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) secure 35 of the 63 parliamentary seats, compared to the PNP’s 28. Golding argued the result represented progress, noting the party had doubled its presence in Parliament from 14 seats in the last term.
Golding acknowledged that past party leaders have either stepped aside after electoral defeat or chosen to stay on, but insisted his focus is on building on the gains made in the 2025 elections.
PNP General Secretary Dr. Dayton Campbell also pushed back against criticisms of the party’s performance, pointing out that JLP leader Andrew Holness did not resign after losing to Portia Simpson Miller in 2011. He reminded the public that Holness had even faced a no-confidence letter from nearly half of his MPs at the time.
Campbell further challenged suggestions that the JLP’s third consecutive win was historic, arguing that Jamaica had seen such dominance before under PNP leader P.J. Patterson in the 1990s and early 2000s.
