Daraine Luton, Sunday Gleaner Reporter

Brown-Reid

AS THE People's National Party Youth Organisation (PNPYO) continues to object to a recommendation that the organisation, in its current state, be scrapped, members of the party are in the process of creating a new professional youth group.

The group, which has not yet been named, is the brainchild of Doneth Brown-Reid and other Comrades in South Trelawny.

Brown-Reid, the defeated PNP candidate for South Trelawny in the September 2007 General Election, says the organisation is aimed at winning the hearts of young professionals.

"Politics is seen as something dirty; we would like to change that," she tells The Sunday Gleaner.

"We need new blood in politics. The plan is that we are going to sit and brainstorm as to how we can make a good contribution to the country, while at the same time embracing the values and philosophy of (PNP founder) Norman Manley," Brown-Reid adds.

The route taken by Brown-Reid is one of several recommendations made by Professor Brian Meeks and his team in a PNP post-election appraisal report.

The Meeks Report said: "The present bifurcation of the PNPYO and Patriots needs to be rethought. Perhaps the party needs to abandon both and establish a new-look youth organisation with fresh credentials and a clean break with the recent past."

Students' association

Continued Meeks: "Perhaps the party might wish to consider establishing a PNP students' association specifically to focus on the recruitment and mobilisation of tertiary-level students; and a PNP young professionals association to focus on the recruitment and mobilisation of young professionals and entrepreneurs."

Concept

Brown-Reid, however, says that the concept of a new professional group existed long before Meeks' report cast a damning eye on the affairs of the PNPYO and the Patriots.

Reacting last week to the report, the PNPYO went on the offensive, charging that Meeks' recommendation was "baseless" and "unfounded". Former president Andrew Okola said that the PNPYO was being sacrificed. He quotes party chairman Robert Pickersgill as always saying: "Success has many fathers, but defeat is an orphan and victory is sweeter and defeat softer when we face them together as a team".

"I can only urge the powers that be not to sacrifice the PNPYO because of the institutional failures of the PNP as a party in recent years. We are all equally guilty for our party's defeat and we are all equally hurting," Okola says.

Meanwhile, Richard Crawford, a member of the Meeks' Committee, says tha no interviews took place between the committee and the PNPYO, there was enough evidence to suggest that it was not doing a fair job.

"Almost everywhere we went, it was a recurrent theme. The PNPYO has been ineffective," Crawford says.

"My advice to them now would be that they should take the time to do their own introspection because, certainly, from what we pick up, they have not been doing a good job," Crawford adds.

Brown-Reid is one of those comrades who believes that the PNPYO has been a failing group.

"The PNPYO and the Patriots need to revamp themselves and become more meaningful," she tells The Sunday Gleaner.

daraine.luton@gleanerjm.com