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Has PNP received financing from gay community?
Vaz says JLP confident of securing 34-38 seats in Dec 29 poll
Sunday, December 25, 2011
DARYL Vaz is challenging the Opposition People's National Party (PNP) to state whether it has received funding from the international gay community, and what, if any, commitments were given in exchange for that funding.
Vaz, the treasurer for the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), said it was obvious that both parties had managed to get funding for their election campaigns based on their activities.
But suggesting that PNP president Portia Simpson Miller had injected a new dimension — homosexuality — into the campaign, Vaz said his team was trying to ascertain whether there was any truth to claims that the PNP had received money from the international gay community.
"We would like to know if this is true; and more importantly, what commitments the PNP has made in exchange for that funding, because we know that is how it works" he said.
Simpson Miller, answering a question in last Tuesday's political debate with Prime Minister Andrew Holness, said a PNP Government would review the buggery law and allow members of parliament to vote their conscience on the matter.
"We are not happy about the opposition leader introducing the issue of homosexuality into the campaign and we are wondering how deep it goes and how much involved the international gay community is with the PNP. We have been hearing of the interest that that community has taken in our elections since her pronouncement," said Vaz. "It is the first time that we have seen such strong interest from the gay community in any Jamaican election," he added, reiterating that his West Portland constituents had already made it clear that "God had made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve".
Meantime, Vaz conceded that the election appears to be a close race, but said he was now "extremely confident" that the JLP would win between 34 and 38 seats, based on all the indicators and a conservative analysis of the constituencies that were regarded as battleground seats.
He said the public opinion polls were very confusing because they were giving contradictory results. However, they were showing that the undecided voters were in favour of the JLP, raising the strong possibility that the party could get more than 38 seats.
"Both parties have energised their base, resulting in a close contest. So it is the undecided who will decide the outcome of this election," said Vaz. "They are in favour of the JLP because they have faith in our new, young leader. He will get the votes of the young as well, based on the successes of the Government in stabilising the country and setting it on a path to growth."
Vaz said that a clear indication of the tight race was the fact that PNP campaign director, Dr Peter Phillips, was leading a motorcade on Christmas Eve through East Portland, long regarded as a safe PNP seat, and despite the fact that the party leader and former leader, PJ Patterson had been there the week before.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...#ixzz1hbyuT6m2
Vaz says JLP confident of securing 34-38 seats in Dec 29 poll
Sunday, December 25, 2011
DARYL Vaz is challenging the Opposition People's National Party (PNP) to state whether it has received funding from the international gay community, and what, if any, commitments were given in exchange for that funding.
Vaz, the treasurer for the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), said it was obvious that both parties had managed to get funding for their election campaigns based on their activities.
But suggesting that PNP president Portia Simpson Miller had injected a new dimension — homosexuality — into the campaign, Vaz said his team was trying to ascertain whether there was any truth to claims that the PNP had received money from the international gay community.
"We would like to know if this is true; and more importantly, what commitments the PNP has made in exchange for that funding, because we know that is how it works" he said.
Simpson Miller, answering a question in last Tuesday's political debate with Prime Minister Andrew Holness, said a PNP Government would review the buggery law and allow members of parliament to vote their conscience on the matter.
"We are not happy about the opposition leader introducing the issue of homosexuality into the campaign and we are wondering how deep it goes and how much involved the international gay community is with the PNP. We have been hearing of the interest that that community has taken in our elections since her pronouncement," said Vaz. "It is the first time that we have seen such strong interest from the gay community in any Jamaican election," he added, reiterating that his West Portland constituents had already made it clear that "God had made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve".
Meantime, Vaz conceded that the election appears to be a close race, but said he was now "extremely confident" that the JLP would win between 34 and 38 seats, based on all the indicators and a conservative analysis of the constituencies that were regarded as battleground seats.
He said the public opinion polls were very confusing because they were giving contradictory results. However, they were showing that the undecided voters were in favour of the JLP, raising the strong possibility that the party could get more than 38 seats.
"Both parties have energised their base, resulting in a close contest. So it is the undecided who will decide the outcome of this election," said Vaz. "They are in favour of the JLP because they have faith in our new, young leader. He will get the votes of the young as well, based on the successes of the Government in stabilising the country and setting it on a path to growth."
Vaz said that a clear indication of the tight race was the fact that PNP campaign director, Dr Peter Phillips, was leading a motorcade on Christmas Eve through East Portland, long regarded as a safe PNP seat, and despite the fact that the party leader and former leader, PJ Patterson had been there the week before.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...#ixzz1hbyuT6m2
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