Devon Evans, Gleaner Writer
P.J. Patterson passes the leadership baton to Portia Simpson Miller, who emerged the party's first female president on February 25. The symbolic baton was passed during the National Executive Council meeting of the PNP at the Sunset Jamaica Grande hotel in Ocho Rios, St. Ann, yesterday. - IAN ALLEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
OCHO RIOS, St. Ann:
NEWLY-INSTALLED President of the People's National Party (PNP) Portia Simpson Miller yesterday made a rallying call for party executives to ensure that all candidates for both the local government and general elections are in place by June this year.
Describing the move as most urgent and crucial, Mrs. Simpson Miller said it should not be viewed as an indication that she would be calling an early election but that she was putting the party in readiness for "anything".
Mrs. Simpson Miller was speaking at a meeting of the National Executive Council of the PNP at the Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort in Ocho Rios, St. Ann, where she was officially endorsed as the new party president.
She received the symbolic leadership baton from former party President Prime Minister P.J. Patterson.
Exuding elation, Mrs. Simpson Miller, the fourth PNP president, said it is crucial that electors be reverified before the end of the process on March 31.
And in an effort to lead by example Mrs. Simpson Miller called her three rivals in the PNP presidential race to stand beside her on the podium. They were Drs. Omar Davies, Peter Phillips and Karl Blythe.
UNITY
In the meantime, warning that these are serious political times, Mrs. Simpson Miller is appealing for unity in the PNP.
To loud applause from the audience, the PNP president used themes from the presidential campaign of her contenders to address the gathering.
She told them that she will be using some solid rocks to build a strong foundation that will lead to a prosperous future that will transfer Jamaica into a world class society.
And Mr. Patterson yesterday said he had passed the leadership baton to a capable individual.
"This a great party that can through the democratic process recognise contribution, recognise service and elevate to the leadership of the PNP not by reason of gender but because of the ability to provide the requisite leadership," he said.
This Thursday, Mrs. Simpson Miller will be sworn in as Jamaica's seventh Prime Minister.
