GENERAL secretary of the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) Paul Burke says a campaign of “lies, half-truths, misinformation, and disinformation” have been waged against him by members of the party.
Member of Parliament for St Ann South Eastern and former Youth and Culture Minister Lisa Hanna yesterday tabled a no-confidence motion against Burke during a meeting of the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) at the Jamaica Conference centre, following the party’s shock defeat in the February 25 General Election. The motion was seconded by Nigel Moore.
“I know most of the players. I know their motives and money power. I also know how and where they got some of this money from,” Burke said.
“Yes, I am responsible for some things, but not for deception or betrayal, media leaks or deliberate plants, not for so-called conspiracies, nor rushed ambitions,” he added.
The party’s general secretary said while no love has been lost between himself and Hanna, and while he believes she was an “excellent” minister of youth, an evaluation and appraisal should been done to determine why the party did not get the youth votes it should have.
“Yes, the general secretary in the final analysis must accept responsibility for the party organisation. I have been there one year and six months. I also extended that we had a minister of youth. She worked hard, she was innovative, but we did not get the youth support in the elections.
“How did that youth support translate to support for the People’s National Party? No, I’m not going to say she wasn’t a good minister of youth. I believe she was a good minister of youth, but the facts are we did not get that translated in votes from young people. And I don’t believe that it would be ethical for me to say that she did not function as well as a minister of youth. I think it would be inappropriate. She can take her own cue from what I have said,” Burke told journalists at the post-NEC press briefing.
Hanna, meanwhile, refused to comment following the meeting.
“I don’t discuss internal party matters. At the right time I will address the press… now is not the time,” she said.
Meanwhile, there were tense moments during the party’s lengthy NEC meeting as a senior member insisted that Burke had been given a position that he did not deserve, nor could manage. Burke loyalists, however, defended him, arguing that similar opinions were voiced against party leader Portia Simpson Miller and should not be given attention.
Hanna also came in for scathing criticism for tabling the motion, with Burke supporters branding her as a Labourite who shouldn’t have a say in party matters.
‘I don’t discuss internal party matters’, but ”at the right time I will address the press’, dis gal a gwaan like a she name PSM no sir, you big and bold table motion and don’t have the balls to defend your actions to the press? Instead, you’ll come back a few days later with a well rehearsed response likely written by someone else? You can’t hold a discussion any more than your Dear Leaders and you need to come down off your high horse because yuh riding for a big fall.
She go ina di party n see Paul Burke and she gwine leave him right there. Lisa really biting off more than har choat can gargle or chew
Internal terrorism…
Bad to bad,paul Burke a foundation pnp still enuh!!
lisa a watch too much house of cards, trying to override everybody to the top.