PNP supporters hope Vybz Kartel will bring more youths to the party

People’s National Party (PNP) supporters are banking on dancehall heavyweight Vybz Kartel’s influence to attract the younger demographic to the party.

The artiste, whose given name is Adidja Palmer, took to the stage at the PNP’s 86th annual conference earlier today, much to the delight of the crowd inside the National Arena, whose screams were deafening in response.

Kartel sported an orange mask, similar to the one he donned when he walked out of the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre on July 31 after he was freed by the Court of Appeal of a 13-year murder charge.

But despite his coloured history, Sonny Spoon, a 55-year-old PNP supporter from Waterford, Portmore, St Catherine, believes Palmer’s presence at the event was an asset to the party.

“Who was undecided, him showing up at the conference today wi mek a big difference, yah aguh get most a di mid 20s (be influenced)," he told The STAR.

He noted that Vybz Kartel’s influence transcends political party barriers.

Twenty-eight-year-old Zella from Red Hills Road in St Andrew was of a similar view.

“Mi seh people aguh come out more, nothing more, nothing less,” she said.

But Tony Young, a 57-year-old PNP supporter from the Cassia Park division in St Andrew, believes the PNP took a gamble in bringing Palmer on stage. 

Nonetheless, he is hoping the risk will pay off.

“It all depends on how you view him as an individual,” he said.

A 64-year-old supporter from Manchester Southern believes the PNP should take it a step further and make Palmer the standard-bearer for a constituency.

“Him would win it, him nah lose,” she said.

She further stated that she is not concerned about his history as the courts have vindicated him.

“Him out ya now, even if him did guilty him get forgiveness. God mek him out ya now.”

Meanwhile, councillor for the Bellefield division in Manchester, Mario Mitchell, says the entertainer’s appearance will go down in history.

“Many, many years have passed since we have seen this kind of crowd and this sort of enthusiasm from the young people and the comrades have now arise from their slumber,” Mitchell said.

“The young people have always played an integral role and many of the young people would have been the movers and shakers.The young persons would dictate exactly how it goes, so the young people have a saying, dem seh ‘yuh haffi go down’, and Vybz Kartel was just the icing on the cake,” he added.

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