Not so, Kevin O’Brien Chang
PETER BUNTING’S failure/ refusal to address the public session of the People’s National Party (PNP) 81st annual conference seems to have become the latest training ground for all manner of political neophytes, commonly called political/social commentators.
According to Kevin O’Brien Chang, as quoted in The Gleaner of September 24, 2019, ‘I am disappointed at what transpired yesterday because the number one thing people are looking for is unity. Phillips should have done everything possible to make sure Bunting spoke, so it’s either he didn’t want it to happen or it’s poor leadership’.
Can Mr Chang point us to the precedent or the tradition where a losing candidate for the presidency of a major political party was given the opportunity to address the annual conference of that party? Clearly, no one had a problem when Edward Seaga, Andrew Holness, P.J. Patterson and Portia Simpson Miller did not allow their challengers to address their annual conferences. Or, is it that because Peter Phillips is known to set high bars, he should set the precedent by allowing his challenger to address the conference?
No one is surprised that Mr Chang chose to ignore the truth, since his primary objective is to launch a broadside against Dr Phillips’ leadership. And it is against this background that I find O’Brien Chang’s ‘desire for a strong Opposition’ very baffling. It must be a tremendous challenge for the PNP when persons who can’t stomach what the party stands for suddenly start to express concerns for its well-being.
This hypocritical concern for the well-being of the PNP was on display during the recent leadership challenge, where persons never felt ashamed to utter the nonsense that Peter Phillips is unelectable. How could that be said about a politician who has consistently demonstrated the highest level of integrity in public office, coupled with his immense grasp of political and governance processes? Or could it be a situation where we have got so accustomed to corrupt politics and corrupt politicians that we develop an aversion to the one who projects integrity and decency?
Those of us who are not suffering from amnesia can readily recall that the same‘prophecy’about not being electable was often made about Andrew Holness. But look where he is now! Besides, Peter Phillips has never contested a general election as leader of the PNP.