Bennett heads NDM - First female to lead political party

By Omar Anderson, Staff Reporter

Bruce Golding, founder and out-going National Democratic Movement's (NDM) president, hugs newly elected president Hyacinth Bennett, after handing her the baton symbolising the change of leadership, at the party's sixth annual conference at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston, yesterday. - Winston Sill

EDUCATOR HYACINTH Bennett was swept into political history yesterday by a landslide victory which placed her firmly in the National Democratic Movement's (NDM) top seat.

Mrs. Bennett became the first woman to lead a major Jamaican political party when she easily won the election as the party's new president.

Just over one quarter of the 2000 paid-up membership turned out yesterday for the Sixth Annual Conference of the party at the Jamaica Conference Centre. Of the approximately 600 persons present, only 353 voted, about 17 per cent of the eligible voters.

Mrs. Bennett soundly beat arch-rival and sole competitor, Clarendon businessman, Clinton Wilson, by 326 votes. the final tally showed Mrs. Bennett receiving 339 votes, to Mr. Wilson's 13 and one spoilt vote.

"This victory has to be taken seriously and should be regarded as a seismic shift on the political landscape where, for the first time, a female leader has been taken into the fold," Mrs. Bennett told The Gleaner afterwards.

She added, however, that her victory was no opportunity for gender-revenge, but a golden avenue for men and women in the party to work together in response to the country's many problems. Mrs. Bennett is the founder and president of the Hydel Group of Schools.

The announcement of her victory yesterday at 2:35 p.m. was met with resounding cheering, whistling and applause. Supporters then sang "For She's A Jolly Good Fellow", as the colleagues on the platform kissed and hugged the new party leader.

The presidency became vacant in March, when Mr. Golding decided to quit following the party's humiliating defeat in the North East St. Ann by-election. In her presidential address, which went more than a hour, and which was characterised by the phrase, "I have a dream", she said the NDM was very much alive, and she urged party members to rally and support the Movement, despite its sceptics' cynicism.

Mrs. Bennett explained that there was widespread apathy and despair across the nation, but she called on Jamaicans to rally and push the country forward through the NDM. She also called on the Church to figure more prominently in governance.

"I dream of a Jamaica where the law is applied to all," she said. " I dream of a Jamaica where drug lords don't call the shots." Having listed many of the country's ills, the NDM president said the way out of what she termed, this "backwardness" and "wretchedness", is through education.

Earlier, founder and out-going NDM president Bruce Golding in his parting shot challenged the party to ensure it can transform its message into votes.

"We are going to present that view we have of Jamaica with a far greater clarity, and make the connection with that vision of people's everyday experience," he told the supporters.

Urging his party to resist the temptation of resorting to the old time politics, specifically, buying votes, Mr. Golding called on the NDM to stick to the principles which gave birth to the Movement.

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