Who is popular today?

THE president of the People's National Party could easily have told his detractors, who say he is invisible, that he has been 'working, working, working' - words used before by former party boss, Portia Simpson Miller.
But he has gone further to outline how he, at times, burns his calories.
Countering the view by some within his party and outside of it that he is too quiet and not as assertive as presidents come, Golding, in a sit-down with the Jamaica Observer last Thursday, described as a myth the feeling that he was missing in action, forcing some to begin saying 'Silence is Golding.'
"I don't think it's an accurate assessment to say I am too much behind the scenes," Golding countered." I am very active in Parliament. I speak frequently in Parliament, dealing with legislation and other things. Outside of Parliament I am on the ground quite a bit, visiting parts of Jamaica where issues have come up, where I think my presence is important, to send a signal of what I am about and also to show people who have been victimised and otherwise, who need some kind of support, to feel that they are getting that kind of support.
"I can't control what traditional media covers, and traditional media sometimes has its own agenda, but I think that if you look at it objectively, I am out there," Golding maintained.
COVID-19 restrictions last year had cramped Golding's mission to survey all the political ground that covers Jamaica, but in recent weeks he said he has once more placed his foot on the accelerator.
"I'm still covering the island on a limited scale. More recently, as reported [COVID-19] numbers have shown improvement, and now that I have been fully vaccinated...I got my second shot [last] Monday, I have felt more inclined to be on the road.
"Over the last two weeks in particular I have been on the road quite a bit, going to places like St Thomas, Westmoreland, and St Ann, and I intend to continue that," he told the Sunday Observer.
One thing that the PNP president says he is also focused on is trying to settle some outstanding financial debts, many of which emerged after the September 3, 2020 General Election.
"I have been prioritising the more vulnerable creditors, namely party workers in some constituencies who had not received what had been agreed, so we have taken care of that. The bigger creditors are showing good understanding and we are working to try and manage that situation over a period of time," he uttered.
Word has emerged that some people stepped forward after the general election, demanding money that they said was loaned to the party but for which there is nothing to substantiate such claims.
Golding did not go into situations involving particular individuals but said that in some cases there were some people who, after dialogue, agreed to treat the money that they expended as grants.
"My position is that political parties are not to borrow money, because they don't have any income to service loans. So when you are providing money to a political party, it's a contribution. If it's gonna be a loan it has to be properly documented, it has to be approved by the executive, and there should be some loan instrument setting out the terms. That's the position I have taken," he insisted.
Leading to the subject of funding political parties, the eminent attorney-at-law is not one of those depending too much on State financial support of political parties, which legislation allows, and does not mandate it.
"I don't think the general public will accept the idea of public resources being used to fund political party activities, although there would be merit to it if it were to be affordable, because it means that there is less scope for well-heeled individuals buying influence through providing money.
"And it also will ensure a rule-based system that would ensure equity in the amount of money available to political competitors. But, I don't think we are there yet because our public finances are already stretched, especially now with COVID. But, also the public as a whole I don't think would like to see taxpayers' money being used to pay for campaigning and so on when we have roads that need fixing, water supplies which are creaking, hospitals that don't have basic supplies.
"The Representation of the People Act now has provisions in it that would allow, if budgetary allocations were made, for reimbursement of a portion of campaign expenditure for candidates. But that provision has so far not been met," Golding said.
As for financial support from sponsors and sympathisers, Golding said he was appreciative of contributions that have been made to the party so far, despite a tough economy.
"The support has been going fairly well. We have got support from some people who don't normally support except during the election period. Corporate Jamaica tends to be more election-responsive and expects parties to find a way of holding their own between elections. We have reached out and received help from some donors. It's an ongoing process; obviously the economic environment is not conducive to ...some people have been hit by COVID, others have done well, mainly construction, but services industries have been really struggling."
Support too, Golding is hoping, will be had for the relatively new O T Fairclough Trust Fund, which reached out to its first beneficiary last week in Westmoreland Central following its set up with a $15-million injection last December. Armed with a governance structure, there is hope that it will be a long-standing institution in the party.
"We have five trustees, who are all reputable, who receive applications from the ground for help and then [go about to]seek funding for that.One of the party workers who was assisted last Saturday has been serving the party since the 1990s.
"The more resources the fund has, the more it can do. It's a difficult time for fund-raising but I am optimistic that it will sustain itself and become an institutional part of the landscape for the party. Maybe in the initial years it can only help a few people, but that's better than nothing. And, with time, the idea is to build an endowment fund from which many can benefit," the PNP president stated.