The People’s National Party (PNP) dismisses the latest Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) internal poll “as nothing more than a desperate attempt to grab headlines and prop up their declining public ratings in an election year.

“The so-called poll, which lacks any credible pollster attribution and provides no dates, is yet another fabrication designed to mislead Jamaicans. If the JLP is truly ahead, then Prime Minister Andrew Holness should waste no time and call the election immediately,” the party said in a press release.

The PNP also called on all media houses to practise “responsible journalism by thoroughly authenticating information before publication”, especially at a time when disinformation is being used as a political tool.

The nation is on election watch as the general election is constitutionally due this year. The last election was on September 3, 2020.

Rhetoric and campaign activities have been ramped up as both parties make their case for leadership of the country. Prime Minister Andrew Holness is yet to announce a date for the election but it is widely believed that it will be called after the budget presentation in March.

The PNP has been criticized for not having a vision for the country in the event that it forms the next government but in its release about the JLP internal poll, the PNP said it stands ready to present a “real vision” for Jamaica’s future.

“We await the naming of the election date so the people can have their say at the ballot box,” the organization said.