NNP political leader seeks advice and support from Jamaica’s JLP

by Linda Straker

• Pierre is NNP’s 3rd political leader of NNP, and also first female leader
• Met with Prime Minister Andrew Holness, political leader of the JLP, and other key officials
• Jamaica trip is to strengthen bonds between NNP and sister party JLP

Representatives of one of the oldest political organisations in the Caribbean, the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) are providing advice to the recently elected national executive of the New National Party (NNP).

Emmalin Pierre and other executive members of the NNP are in Jamaica meeting with representatives from the ruling JLP, often described as a sister party to the NNP. At the end of the meetings, the two organisations will agree on initiatives to provide immediate and future support.

Pierre posted on her Facebook page photos of her meeting with Jamaica’s education minister. When asked about the purpose of the Jamaica trip, she said that it’s all aimed at strengthening the bonds between the two parties following the recent changes to the national executive at the 15 December 2024 convention. “We felt it was important to renew and strengthen that bond and that partnership for development,” said Pierre, who was elected political leader at the convention. She replaced Dr Keith Mitchell who has been the political leader of the NNP since 1989. Pierre has become the third political leader of the NNP and is also the first female leader.

“I had the opportunity to sit with Prime Minister Andrew Holness, the political leader of the JLP and engage with other key officials in the party and for us to agree on some ways in which immediately we are going to seek support and collaborate on various initiatives going forward,” said Pierre. “We will be working towards establishing ways in which the JLP can provide more technical and other support for the party, as has been the case over the years but based on our current situation and the need for more strategic planning and the way forward for the party.”

Following her elevation to the post of political leader, some people believe that her reign may be short because she will not bring the same leadership strategies that Dr Mitchell provided to the party founded in 1984.

“Now let me say this: Dr Mitchell’s style of leadership and my style of leadership might be very different. We have two different styles of leadership, if you asked me further, I would say it’s two styles that can complement each other and so I am not going to distance myself from Dr Mitchell as a former leader of this party,” Pierre said during her first news conference on 21 January 2025.