Tanya Stephens Dismisses Lisa Hanna’s PNP Presidential Bid, Spice Says Hanna Is Best Choice
Dancehall singjay Tanya Stephens yesterday rubbished Lisa Hanna’s bid for the presidency of the Peoples National Party (PNP), claiming the former Miss World is inept and would not be able to manage the country if she were to go on to win Jamaica’s General Elections.
Stephens, who is a constant critic of the South East St. Ann MP’s performance, made her sentiments known in an advertisement which she posted on her Instagram page, of a November 4 town hall meeting which is to be staged by Hanna’s opponent Mark Golding, ahead of the November 7 PNP presidential elections.
“We need efficient people in governance. I’m not a delegate in any political party so I can’t vote, but the delegates should bear in mind that this is not merely party politics. This is Jamaica’s business. A woman who makes excuses for why her SINGLE constituency is so torn that she couldn’t resolve ANY issue within her own party there can’t govern an entire country,” the Boom Wuk artiste said.
“Everybody who is supporting her baseless ambition should be exiled. Party leader will be responsible for EVERY CONSTITUENCY! Get it right, oonu credibility at stake, as well as the positions oonu seek. Peace. Me a go deh deh,” she said.
Stephens’ comments have possibly come due to reports that Hanna has been accused time and time again by members of her party of being divisive, and unable to get along with most of the councilors in her constituency.
The It’s A Pity artiste’s remarks though, are in stark contrast to that of her Dancehall compatriot Spice, who yesterday endorsed Hanna’s bid for leadership for the 82-year-old party, in a response to a promotional video post the four-term MP made on IG yesterday.
“I Just heard Sister P [former PNP leader Portia Simpson Miller] said it and I hope they make the right decision, You are the true leader for this Party #Bringbackthelove,” Spice had written to Hanna.
Stephens, in her interactions with her followers which followed her post, also outlined that her comments against the former Youth and Culture Minister, was not really a form of support for Golding, but that she felt she had a responsibility to be “honest about my observations as a Jamaican citizen”.
“I would really love if the best one wins. Better yet, we could start by better offerings. There are people who are quite capable of running the country but they wouldn’t fare well in popularity politics. Look at Lisa’s basis for running… She can beat ‘Brogad’. Sigh,” she said.
Hanna, who won the 1993 Miss World title, first contested the South East St. Ann seat in 2007, beating the JLP’s Peter Fakhourie by 2,697 votes. She also won in 2011 with 8,996 votes and again in 2016 with 8,056 votes, beating Oneil Osteen by 4,245 and Ivan Anderson by 3,137, respectively.
In last September’s general elections she, however, only secured 5,150 votes to the JLP’s Leroy Granston’s 5,119, following a magisterial recount, winning by 31 votes, a margin which Stephens had poured scorn on days after the final count.
“Stop mek Instagram zombies fool oonu! This is a formerly ‘safe’ seat inherited by someone ALL of Jamaica loves (loved?). All she needed to do was be humble and work,” Stephens said at the time.
Nearly 3,000 PNP delegates are set to vote for a new president next Saturday. The election follows the resignation of the incumbent Dr. Peter Phillips, who gave up the post after the party lost the September 3 General Election 14-49 seats to the JLP.
This is the second PNP presidential election in 14 months and both aspirants have pledged to run a clean and fair campaign.