Gareth Manning, Gleaner Writer
Portia Simpson Miller, People's National Party vice-president, greets hundreds of yellow-clad supporters during the first leg of her Road to Victory Tour at the Morant Bay Courthouse in Morant Bay, St. Thomas, last night. - RICARDO MAKYN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
IT WAS an afternoon of cries of "woman time now" as People's National Party (PNP) presidential candidate, Portia Simpson Miller, launched her islandwide campaign to head the governing party and the nation in Morant Bay, St. Thomas, yesterday.
Mrs. Simpson Miller, who arrived just after 6:00 pm for a rally slated to begin at 4:00, was a picture of confidence as she marched through the crowd of mostly female supporters, in front of the Morant Bay courthouse.
The prime ministerial candidate likened her campaign trail to the Paul Bogle Uprising of 1865 and urged her supporters in the parish to join her bid for the PNP presidency.
CALL FOR PARTY UNITY
"As your ancestors faced Bogle yesterday, I am asking you to face life with Portia... Portia time is your time...Portia time is the people's time," she told the exuberant crowd.
She used the rally as a platform to air her wish for a peaceful campaign and continued unity for the party.
"Tonight we are not here to quarrel with anyone. We are here to ground with history to say to our ancestors, to say to the martyrs, the men and the women, we seek your guidance and your blessings as we prepare to write the pages in the history book of Jamaica."
Mrs Simpson Miller, who is also the Minister of Local Government Community Development and Sport, also used the opportunity to confront claims that her ministry was not allocating funds for road repair.
ANSWERING TO HIGHER AUTHORITY
"As minister of Local Government, I cannot spend one dollar from the ministry that is belonging to the local authorities, unless the local authorities request and I sign to the local authority," she said.
Mrs. Simpson Miller suggested that the funds were not allocated because they were not requested and also because none was available.
"I hear some say roads could not be rehabilitated, but the ministry of local government cannot send money unless it's requested and furthermore Local Government cannot disburse funds unless we have funds available," she said.
The next leg of the campaign is scheduled for May Pen, Clarendon, on Thursday.
