Gareth Manning, Staff Reporter

Member of Parliament, south east St Ann and supporter of Team PNP, Lisa Hanna, marshals the troop at the Peoples' National Party (PNP) presidential elections at the National Arena yesterday. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

THAT IT would be a bitter presidential contest was clear from the outset as hundreds of Dr Peter Phillips' Arise and Renew and Portia Simpson Millers' Team PNP supporters rolled into the National Arena in St Andrew to cast their votes yesterday.

Barricades divided the teams - Team PNP to the west and Arise and Renew to the east.

Arise and Renew supporters were out of the blocks early, swarming the arena in their numbers as the polls opened. But that would soon change as members of Team PNP shouting "Portia Lucretia Simpson to the world!" came marching in.

They were bitter and they did not hide it. Many were clearly upset that Dr Peter Phillips had challenged the leadership of Portia Simpson Miller so soon after the 2006 presidential race, and they were not afraid to show their contempt for him and his team.

visibly peeved

"A dis him a dis the Comrade leader," five women who had travelled all the way from Windsor Heights and Central Village in St Catherine told The Sunday Gleaner as they readied themselves on the outside of the arena to enter to cast their ballots. They were also visibly peeved at their member of parliament, Sharon Hay-Webster, one of the spokespersons for Dr Phillips' Arise and Renew campaign.

"All right now we nuh have no MP cause she a dis we," one of the five said. She declined to give her name. "You see, all when the Comrade leader win tonight, we (will) block the road because she (Hay-Webster) can't come back down there," the delegate declared.

Early into the voting yesterday, Team PNP seemed confident of a victory. From as early as 10 a.m., there were claims from some supporters that they had already amassed 1,400 of the magical 2,200 votes.

In the camp, supporters kicked up a dancing frenzy to specially selected music, much of it clearly targeted at their opponents on the other side of the fence.

"Dem a go tired fi see we face ... ," they sang and danced to the lyrics of the popular Bob Marley song, "... Caan get we out a the race."

comrade leader

Notwithstanding, Lisa Hanna, the member of parliament for South East St Ann, pleaded with delegates to leave the food and drink behind and cast their votes for the Comrade leader.

"All delegates go and vote now!" she insisted. "Put your vote beside one, two, six and eight," she instructed. "Who do you appreciate?" The numbers were representative of the four vice-presidential candidates - Noel Arscott, Angela Brown-Burke, Derrick Kellier and Joseph 'Bunny' Witter - who are all Team PNP supporters.

At about 11:30 a.m., the usually flamboyant Simpson Miller arrived. She stood with her body protruding from the roof of a black sport-utility vehicle, holding her fist in the air as she declared victory for her team.

"Mama P!" "Sista P!" "Portia to the world!" shouted her frenzied supporters as they crowded her motor vehicle and tailed her to a tent.

In response, she showered them with praise and declared victory for her team. "Thank you all for coming out," Simpson Miller told them. "Tonight we will celebrate!"

gareth.manning@gleanerjm.com