Garwin Davis, Assistant News Editor
PRESIDENT of the United People's Party (UPP), Antonnette Haughton-Cardenas, is accusing the People's National Party (PNP) and its supporters of intimidation, claiming that she was threatened and verbally abused at a function in Port Maria on Friday.
In a telephone interview with The Sunday Gleaner yesterday, Mrs. Haughton-Cardenas said that she was still shocked at the reception that was meted out to her by the PNP supporters and that she was in the process of lodging a formal complaint to the party hierarchy.
"I didn't know that I was going to a political rally," the UPP president said. "I had gone to the opening of the new civic centre in Port Maria on an invitation from the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) and with the Prime Minister cutting the ribbons, I was of the view that I was going to a national event. If I had known that it was a planned political rally with people being bussed in from across the parish, chanting party slogans and decked out in party colours I would never have gone."
Mrs. Haughton-Cardenas said problems started as soon as she entered the building where PNP supporters approached her in a menacing manner.
"It was real hostile," she said. "They were cursing, yelling and calling me traitor. The police had to form a ring around me to protect me from potential harm it was real bad I tell you my brother."
The Port Maria Police confirmed the incident.
Mrs. Haughton-Cardenas said that Senator Floyd Morris and adviser to the Prime Minister, Delano Franklin, approached her but neither apologised for what was taking place.
"I asked why was a national event turned into a political rally and was told explicitly by Mr. Patterson's personal assistant that he had no control over what people want to wear. This is what really bothers me - this is a function, which they had full control over, and could have told supporters not to turn it into a political circus. They did not have to bus all those people in. I felt something hit my car when I was leaving and was told by a police friend of mine that it was a stone someone had thrown at my car."
Disputing
The PNP is, however, disputing Mrs. Haughton-Cardenas' version of events, claiming that she assisted in fueling what took place.
"Delano Franklin and myself went over as soon as we realized what was happening," explained Senator Floyd Morris, in an interview yesterday. "Antonnette is a friend of mine and I couldn't believe when she flashed away my arm when I tried to touch her. She also made a comment about Judas which was directed at us. I personally told the crowd that she had every right to be there and for them to desist from that kind of behaviour. It was a very large crowd and I don't know what would have happened if we hadn't been there."
Mr. Morris said that he was told that Mrs. Haughton-Cardenas had made some disparaging remarks about the crowd and which was the reason why she was accosted.
"I didn't hear it myself but Antonnette supposedly had said that the Prime Minister had left behind his animals to attack her and the crowd took an exception to the comment."
Member of Parliament for Central St. Mary, Horace Clarke also said that Mrs. Haughton-Cardenas was distorting the facts and that the event was never a political rally.
"The people cursed her because she referred to them as animals," he said. "Supporters of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) were there so to say it was a political rally is not true."
Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Councillor for the St. Mary Carron Hall Division, Bobby Montaque, said that it was disgraceful what happened to the UPP president and notes that "I am sure I speak for all well thinking people in St. Mary in denouncing that kind of behaviour."
