The One-PNP campaign is describing polling data presented by the Rise United campaign as garbled, incomprehensible and out of line with One-PNP’s polling data.
In a statement today, Campaign Chairman K.D. Knight, said the data presentation was obviously designed to confuse the public, but in particular, the party delegates, who are overwhelmingly in support of the President of the People’s National Party, Dr. Peter Phillips.
Rise United led by Peter Bunting who is challenging Dr. Phillips for the presidency released its poll data at a press conference today.
The One-PNP campaign says it will present details of its own poll findings by the end of the week
Mr. Knight said none of the answers provided to the questions accounted for 100 % of the sample size, which gave the distinct impression that the numbers were being selectively presented.
The statement added that it would also have been critical to know the representative sample in terms of supporters of the People National Party and the Jamaica Labour Party, the demographic makeup of sample size and the distribution of size across population centre.
The One-PNP campaign said, while it acknowledges the right of Rise United to highlight numbers to make its own case, it is important that delegates be warned of the convenience of the results presented.
One-PNP campaign rejected, in particular, the claim that the increase in PNP support by 12 percentage points over the past two months was entirely attributable to the work of the Bunting campaign.
Mr. Knight said any such claim had to be a farce, as supporters from both campaigns had been active in the field over the same period.
The campaign chairman said in order to eliminate the possibility of this confusion taking root, the One-Pnp campaign would present details of its own poll findings by the end of the week.
Pollster, Bill Johnson polled for the One-PNP campaign between August 2 and 4, with a sample size of 1000 respondents with a plus or minus 3.5 per cent error margin.
In revealing one of the poll questions which asked respondents if the election were being held today, if they would vote for the JLP under Andrew Holness’ leadership or the PNP under Dr. Phillips’ leadership, 34 % selected Andrew Holness, while 32 % selected Dr. Phillips.
In the second aspect of the question which asked “What if Peter Bunting were the leader of the PNP?” 36 % selected Mr. Holness while 27 % selected Peter Bunting.
According to One-PNP, this data clearly show that if an election was called immediately, Dr Peter Phillips and Andrew Holness would be in a statistical dead heat.
One-PNP says with a sample size larger than 750 respondents, the Johnson poll will present a more accurate reading.
At the same time One-PNP notes that both surveys have captured improved standings of the People’s National Party.
Mr. Knight said if the Bunting campaign wished to be taken seriously, it should immediately reveal all the relevant data in its poll.