Mark Beckford, Gleaner Writer

A section of the crowd infront of a large screen erected in the car park at yesterday's public session of the People's National Party's 68th annual conference. Thousands of persons who were unable to enter the arena congregated outside. - Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer

If the unity displayed during yesterday's public session of the People's National Party's (PNP) 68th annual conference is anything to go by, then the party may have exorcised the demons of disunity that have plagued it in recent months.

Speeches and musical selections all reflected this, as a carnival-like atmosphere enveloped the National Arena, in a sea of orange and yellow, as tens of thousands of supporters filled the venue, dancing to their favourite songs and cheering each speaker.

Additionally, thousands more milled outside the arena, as a large screen and several speakers conveyed the action they were missing inside the venue.

Vincent Ellis, a member of the party for 57 years, claimed the conference was the largest he had seen in several years.

"Since 1986, this is the largest conference I have seen and it is inspiring to me. Forward we a go," he told The Gleaner.

Full of praise

Mr. Ellis was also full of praise for party president Portia Simpson Miller whom he said had achieved much in the short time she has been in office.

Mrs. Simpson Miller's predecessor in party and government, former Prime Minister P.J. Patterson, also endorsed her and pledged to do everything in his power to give the PNP another term in office, which he described as "the living five."

Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St. Vincent, also endorsed Mrs. Simpson Miller and encouraged Jamaica to give the Prime Minister her own mandate when she announced the date for elections.

The Jamaica News Network (JNN), through reporter Hopeton O'Connor Denny and to the surprise of other media entities on hand, donated $50,000 to the party's fund-raising campaign, while Norman Horne gave $3 million.

The National Arena appeared to be bursting at the seams when the leader of the party arrived at approximately 2:00 p.m. Incidentally, the speaker at the time, Otto Marero from the Cuban Communist Party, had to abort his speech midway as the Prime Minister marched in to her now signature tune Strength of a Woman. The Prime Minister then proceeded to dance from one end of the arena to the next, hugging and greeting everyone in sight, to the approval of the flag-waving, whistle- blowing crowd.

The crowd, which seemed to be in a welcoming mood, also extended its love to several Jamaica Labour Party defectors. Verna Parchment, Mr. Horne, Dennis Minnott, Brascoe Lee, Kenneth Rowe and Abe Dabdoub, who received the loudest cheers, were all presented to the crowd, who lapped up every reference to the new members "coming in from the cold."