From Jamaica Wiki
People’s National Party (PNP) is a one of the major parties in Jamaica’s traditionally two-party system. This political party is a democratic, socialist party with leaning towards the left, demonstrated by its affiliation to Socialist International. Norman Manley, one of the main faces of the Jamaican struggle for independence, formed the party in 1938. This makes it the political party with the longest history in the entire Anglophone Caribbean. The Jamaican Labour Party (founded in 1943 by Manley’s cousin and rival, Alexander Bustamante) was and is still the only major rival to the PNP.
The PNP has been the majority party in the Jamaican legislature twice since Independence. They were in power in two continuous periods from 1972 to 1980 and also from 1989 till 2007 when the Jamaican Labour Party (JLP) replaced them in the general elections.
The first universal suffrage elections were conducted in Jamaica in 1944 in 32 constituencies. The PNP was only able to garner a small portion of the votes winning 4 out of 32 seats. The PNP came to power for the first time in 1955 and kept the position till just before independence in 1962. While in power, the PNP followed a policy of reformist social democratic policies and provided secondary education to the poorer sections with state sponsored scholarships. All along the PNP had used a head and the color orange as its electoral symbols.
Though the post independence government of JLP continued in power for a decade, the PNP was able to remove the JLP from power under the leadership of Michael Manley, Norman Manley’s son. They continued the policy of democratic socialism and followed a foreign policy typical of a third world nation. In 1972, the JLP again turned the tables on the PNP, after eight years of rule marred by increasing inflation and unemployment. Though a snap poll was conducted in 1983, the PNP led by Manley decided to boycott it. Because of this, the PNP was absent from the parliament for a period of five years.
In 1989, Manley was successful in bringing the PNP back to power. He retired from politics in 1992 after two more years as Prime Minister. Percival Noel James Patterson took over the reins of the party and the mantle of Prime Minister. The period starting from 1989 was the best period of PNP rule as they continued in power for 18 unbroken years. Patterson was successful in returning the party to office repeatedly in the 1993, 1997 and 2002 elections making him the first political leader in the nation’s history to win three consecutive elections. After the 2002 general elections, the party had received 52.2% of the votes counted and occupied 34 out of the 60 seats in the Parliament.
Starting from 1989, the PNP had effected a change in their ideologies. This was evident from the much toned down socialist rhetoric and their readiness in undertaking policies aimed at utilizing globalization for the good of the economy. The PNP also gave the nation its first female Prime Minister in Portia Simpson-Miller who took over from Patterson in 2006. But the PNP’s long run in power was ended in the 2007 general elections which was won by the JLP.
