Trailing behind realities

POLITICAL COMMENTATOR Richard 'Dickie' Crawford believes that the concerns being raised by the party insiders are not unfounded. "I have noticed in recent times that Bobby's responses to the issues that confront the party tend to be traditional ... and he tends to paint a picture that all is OK in the party," he said. "I don't think he is championing the chairmanship as he ought to. I don't think he is going below the surface to unearth the real issues that confront the party."

The challenge against Pickersgill's chairmanship is no surprise to Crawford. "For some time, there have been members of the party who have been questioning how he has been handling the chairmanship of the party, so one is not totally surprised to hear questions being raised about his effectiveness at this time," he said.

Crawford also argues that Pickersgill is trailing behind the realities of the situation that the party faces and is trying to put a brave and positive spin on these issues. "I don't believe that it is convincing a lot of people in today's political arena - both inside the party and outside of the party."

The political commentator say the current hardships facing the party is what has set the stage for the challenge. "At this time, when the party is having a rough passage in its organisational work, in its success at the polls, and its obvious inability to raise funds clearly, positions like the chairman, the general secretary and the leader are going to come under extreme scrutiny."

However, Crawford agrees with Pickersgill that the dissatisfied faction should come out from behind the bushes. "I think that is a good point because the party provides such a forum," he said while warning Pickersgill to take the challenge seriously.

Smith

Sympathetic towards party leader

Another political pundit, Lloyd B. Smith, suggests that the dissatisfaction with Pickersgill might be rooted in his seeming loyalty to the party leader - Portia Simpson Miller - because "it would appear that he is sympathetic towards" her.

However, he believes that the challenge being mounted against Pickersgill is just a symptom of the overall sickness plaguing the PNP. Smith also says that Pickersgill should consider stepping down as chairman. "It may be in the best interests of the party if he rescues himself from the position if it is being perceived that he is overly sympathetic or overly aligned to the current president," he said.

Any such blind loyalty, Smith argues further, would compromise the chairman's ability to be the referee he needs to be, especially in these trying times when the "party is falling apart".