Gender Affairs Minister Olivia Grange is today (May 29) chastising People’s National Party (PNP) president Mark Golding for misogynistic remarks in which he recently described East St Thomas MP Dr Michelle Charles as having “no class.”

Golding also warned that Charles should be badly beaten in this year’s constitutionally due general election and is in for a “sting.”

The gender affairs minister says, “It is unfortunate that the PNP president, who has spoken about his ambition to govern Jamaica with ‘topanaris’ around him, has reintroduced class to the political platform and suggested that a strong and accomplished woman such as Charles is lacking.”

Minister Grange stated that Charles invited Dr Fenton Ferguson, immediate past MP for the rural constituency, to the platform of the opening of the Morant Bay Urban Centre in St Thomas earlier this month and outlined that there was cordial interaction between both stakeholders in the parish.

“For Golding to suggest that Charles lacks class due to the interaction is very unfortunate. Gone are the days that people of Golding’s ilk should arrogate unto themselves the power to decide who is deserving to be regarded as having class and who should not be so designated.”

In further reprimanding Golding, Grange says the opposition leader should apologise and retract his comments about Charles and should also be more careful in his speech.

“Golding’s comments about Dr Charles deserving to be ‘badly beaten’ and being ‘in for a sting’ are also unfortunate and unbecoming, though he eventually contextualised it as a reference to the electoral process. At a time when gender-based violence is a matter of serious concern, Golding should be more careful in his use of language,” she added.

Grange also expressed disappointment in Golding’s comments towards Dr Charles, “which were characterised by crassness, arrogance and inappropriate, useless use of language, and the PNP president, who aspires to higher office, should commit to using the political platform in a more responsible manner.”