The youth arm of the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), Young Jamaica, is calling on People’s National Party (PNP) Deputy General Secretary and candidate for St. James Southern, Nekeisha Burchell to apologize for demeaning, downright disrespectful and sexist comments she made about East Portland Member of Parliament, Ann-Marie Vaz.

In a social media post, which is attached to this press release, Burchell described Mrs. Vaz as “Drunking Ann” and commented that her female colleague in the political arena is “too pretty to chat stupidness”. Burchell also labelled Mrs. Vaz as “pretty dunce” as she sought to put down and mock the personal and professional aspirations of her female colleague in the political arena to serve her people.

Burchell, who worked as an assistant to Senator Peter Bunting for many years and is now a PNP ranking Secretariat member and candidate, also demanded that Mrs. Vaz ‘hold out her hand’ and used emoticons which suggested that physical violence/corporal punishment should be meted out to Mrs. Vaz.

Burchell attached a photograph of Mrs. Vaz to the social media post in which she commented on Mrs. Vaz’s appearance and sought to demean and disrespect the MP’s intellect. Up until very recently, the post remained on Burchell’s Facebook’s account.

Young Jamaica finds it ironic and unfortunate that a member of the PNP would seek to attack an accomplished woman such as Mrs. Vaz in the terrible manner which Burchell sought to put her down. Mrs. Vaz has been a stellar family woman who is now an accomplished politician and one of Jamaica’s most accomplished and loved political representatives. The East Portland MP has done nothing to warrant the attack from Burchell who is an agent of the PNP and an aspiring political representative.

Young Jamaica is also appalled that the PNP would select as their candidate and retain as their Deputy General Secretary an individual who saw it fit to without basis attack another woman in the sexist, disrespectful and mean-spirited way that Burchell lashed out at Mrs. Vaz.

Given her vitriolic attack on Mrs. Vaz, Ms. Burchell should apologize and submit her resignation from the PNP Secretariat.  Young Jamaica expects that the PNP Women’s Movement and its President, Patricia Duncan-Sutherland, will swiftly move to ensure that Burchell is held to account for her unsavoury conduct and attack and a fellow female in the political field.