MARK GOLDING was sworn in as the new opposition leader in the parliament, less than 48 hours after he successfully turned away a challenge from Lisa Hanna to become the sixth President of the main opposition People’s National Party (PNP).

Governor General, Sir Patrick Allen, presented the opposition leader with the Instrument of Appointment at a short ceremony at Kings House.

Golding, the Member of Parliament for St Andrew Southern, takes over from former PNP president Dr Peter Phillips, who stepped down after the party was trounced in the general elections on September 3, this year. The ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) won 49 of the 63 seats in the Parliament.

Opportunity

“I am grateful to all those who had the trust and confidence in me to provide this opportunity to serve my country Jamaica in this new role,” Golding said at the ceremony.

Recently, Golding, a former justice minister, defeated Hanna by a 1,740 to 1,444 margin and immediately homage to the founders of the party indicating that his first task would be to heal the wounds of division in the opposition party.

“I respect the foundation on which we stand, built by our founding fathers and mothers and by the great leaders who came after them. I value the creative energies and fresh ideas of our youth. I believe in a combination of old and new and in-between, and that is what we need for a stronger future,” he said then.