‘I’m not a placeholder for Bunting’ - Golding rejects suggestion that candidacy for president is to pave way for Bunting’s rise

Mark Golding is aware of the suspicion that his challenge for the presidency of the People’s National Party (PNP) has evoked among some party faithful.

The unease in some PNP circles, insiders say, is based on fears that Golding is merely seeking to pave the way for Peter Bunting, his long-time friend and business partner, to realise his ambition of leading the political organisation.

Golding, who acknowledged that Bunting has provided support and encouragement for his candidacy, has frowned at the suggestion.

“I value my reputation. I live by ethical principles and I think it would he highly unethical and immoral for me to put myself forward as a leader of the party as some kind of placeholder for anybody else,” he said.

“Absolutely, I am flatly rejecting that notion.”

Bunting, with Golding as his right hand man, failed in his bid just over a year ago to unseat Dr Peter Phillips as PNP president, a move some insiders believe is at the centre of the deep divisions within the floundering party.

Following the PNP’s landslide defeat in last month’s general election, Phillips announced that he was walking away from the post, setting up a second presidential election in 14 months that could cause further divisions within the PNP.

Golding, the member of parliament (MP) for St Andrew Southern, and St Ann South Eastern MP Lisa Hanna have already declared their candidacy for the November 7 contest.

It has been a meteoric rise for Golding, the 55-year-old attorney and investment banker, who admitted that up to 13 years ago when he first stepped on to the national political stage, he was content with being part of the supporting cast.

“It wasn’t an easy decision [to enter the race for PNP president] because it’s not a question of a burning ambition to hold the top post or anything. I’m not motivated by those kinds of motivations,” he told The Sunday Gleaner.

His introduction to politics came in 2007 after the PNP was booted from office and Portia Simpson Miller, the president and Opposition leader at the time, asked him, through an intermediary, to serve as a senator.

BOLD MOVE

“I was involved with some prior campaigns, but not as an activist or even being a member of the party. I think it was a bold move by Sista P because I wasn’t involved in the party; I wasn’t an insider,” he recounted of his political experience at the time.

The PNP regained state power in 2012 and Golding was appointed to the Cabinet as justice minister.

In 2016, he defeated veteran politician Colin Campbell to take over the prized so-called PNP safe seat of St Andrew Southern from the retiring Dr Omar Davies.

He entered the Lower House the following year after a by-election victory.

Golding opined that the PNP “needs somebody with the skill set and maturity” he brings to the table, and believes his time as a legislator, coupled with his extensive experience in the private sector, has prepared him for the role of PNP president.

“I think that I am still young enough to have the energy and connect with voters of all ages,” he insisted.

“I think I have the capacity in terms of my legal training, my understanding of economics and finance, … my work in governance as chairman of the legislation committee of the Cabinet, having responsibility for delivering all of the structural legislative benchmarks for the IMF (International Monetary Fund) programme,” he said.

Seemingly trying to head off the vitriol that marred last year’s presidential contest, Golding called Hanna a respected colleague who “brings a lot to the table”.

But he suggested that Hanna will have other opportunities to “shine” before signalling that she will have a role to play in the rebuilding of the political organisation if he becomes the next president.

“She is younger than me and I think that her time to shine is in the future. There must be a prominent place for her in the party and certainly when I win, I will want to work with her and others who do not support me,” said Golding.

“I just happen to think that at this point in time, the mix that I bring to the table is what the party needs. It’s really an appreciation of the history of our party and where we are now and feeling like I can bring a lot to the table, and I am ready for the job.”

Hanna did not respond to several requests for a Sunday Gleaner interview.

PLANS TO RETROFIT PARTY

Golding also unveiled a raft of initiatives he wants to pursue as part of his plan to retrofit and modernise the 82-year-old political party.

At the top of the list, he said, is constitutional reforms to make the PNP “more democratic” by giving voting rights to more members and come up with specific responsibilities for its vice-presidents “so they can be accountable to the membership for their performance”.

Further, he wants to raise the profile of PNP affiliate groups such as its youth organisation, the young professional arm and the women’s group and “integrate them more in the decision-making process”.

Golding also dusted off an idea he first floated last year to create a trust fund that would be used to provide assistance for the foot soldiers of the party.

“We need to really focus on strengthening our party workers, empowering them through political education and training, including lifestyle skills.”

He said he has done some work to develop the trust fund and hope to be able to roll it out if he is successful on November 7.

The St Andrew South MP believes that for several reasons, this year’s presidential election will be bereft of any acrimony or divisiveness.

He opined that the healing process that followed last year’s contest was not as effective as it needed to be, even as he acknowledged that efforts were made on both sides.

“There were still outstanding issues that needed to be resolved.”

He noted that last year’s contest was the result of a decision by Bunting to challenge Phillips’ leadership.

“It was really based on his perception, and others who supported him, that we were facing a severe defeat at the poll and that some changes needed to be made to address that,” he reasoned.

This year’s contest, Golding said, is taking place at a time when the PNP is “at a very low ebb” and when there is a clear vacancy for the position of president.

livern.barrett@gleanerjm.com