By Howard Campbell, Gleaner writer
Charles
JULY 18, 1992 will not go down as a great day in the annals of the Jamaica Labour Party. That was the day Pearnel Charles, a former deputy leader, was assaulted by party supporters as the JLP's 49th annual conference opened at the National Arena.
As one supporter put it, it was 'Labourite fighting Labourite'. Douglas Vaz, who was to be nominated for one of the four deputy leader posts that day, describes it as the "most shameful day" in the party's history.
Mr. Charles, who was imprisoned in the 1976 State of Emergency under the People's National Party (PNP) Government of Michael Manley, says he was devastated by the treatment he received at the hands of the JLP thugs.
CONTENDERS
Today, Mr. Charles and Bruce Golding, his brother-in-law, are contenders for the post of party leader. In June Edward Seaga, who has held that position since 1974, declared that he would step down at this year's conference.
But Mr. Charles says that the delegate's list to elect a new party leader is flawed and successfully got an injunction in the Supreme Court last week that forced party officials to postpone the conference.
The action taken by Mr. Charles has not gone down well with some party die-hards.
Not to mention the party's so-called Reformist faction which has thrown its weight behind Mr. Golding, the party chairman.
Mr. Golding returned to the JLP fold in October 2002, just days before the general election, after five years as head of the National Democratic Movement (NDM).
A few years before the stand-off at the arena, Mr. Charles found himself in pretty much the same position. He, along with Errol Anderson, Edmund Bartlett, Karl Samuda and Vaz comprised the 'Gang of Five', a rebel group which pushed for leadership changes within the JLP.
In October 1990, months after noise over the Gang of Five affair had settled, Mr. Charles was informed by the JLP's Standing Committee that he would not be considered for candidacy in the next general election, due to his involvement in the much-publicised saga. He took his case to the Supreme Court which over-ruled the party's decision.
Two years later when Mr. Charles and delegates from his East St. Thomas constituency showed up at the National Arena, old wounds were re-opened. Men dressed in 'security' T-shirts assaulted them and tore up some of their admission cards. One of the men reportedly said, 'Yuh nah come ya so come dis de leader (Seaga).'
At the time, Mr. Charles said he was struck by bottles and was saved from further harm by other members of the 'security' team. Mr. Vaz said he arrived shortly afterwards with delegates from his North Central St. Andrew constituency.
"My delegates left the arena early and told me not to enter so I didn't come under any threat but I had to work really hard to get Pearnel to leave," Mr. Vaz told The Sunday Gleaner last week. "It was obvious that it was organised and that by itself is a damning indictment on the party's leadership."
Earlier this year in an interview with journalist Cliff Hughes, Mr. Seaga denied he had any part in the assault. In the aftermath of the National Arena fiasco, Pearnel Charles' once-promising career was almost destroyed.
It would take years before he regained credibility in the JLP. He was one of the stars of the Seaga Cabinet shortly after the JLP won the General Election in October 1980 but he lost the seat in the 1993 election. He moved to North Central Clarendon five years later, but was beaten by the People's National Party's George Lyn.
In 2002, Mr. Charles returned to Parliament when he defeated Mr. Lyn for the North Central Clarendon seat. Looking back, he says the humiliation he suffered 12 years ago has made him stronger.
"It's a challenge that has pushed me forward to this day," he said.
