Former Jamaica Labour Party mayor, Noel Donaldson applies to the People's National Party for membership
Published:Wednesday | July 29, 2015 | 12:00 AM
WESTERN BUREAU:
Former Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) mayor, Noel Donaldson, has applied to the People's National Party (PNP) for membership.
His application has been confirmed by chairman of the Northwest PNP executive, Clayton Morgan, and there is high speculation that Donaldson could be selected as the candidate to go up against JLP General Secretary Horace Chang, who is currently the member of parliament for the North West St James constituency.
Donaldson, who was mayor between 2003 and 2007, ran against PNP vice-president and current minister of labour and agriculture Derrick Kellier and narrowly lost by 250 votes in South St James. He polled 5,802 votes behind Kellier's 6,051 votes.
He was councillor for the Norwood Division while mayor. Before him, his father Cecil Donaldson, a three-term mayor, was councillor for the Glendevon Division.
years of experience
"He (is) no chicken to the political landscape and brings years of experience to the PNP," said a highly placed source in the party.
However, Morgan said only the party executive can approve the application, noting that the party executive should have considered it this past Monday.
"By next Monday, the party is expected to decide," he stated, adding that by the annual constituency meeting slated for August 23, he and his team hoped to have their candidate in place and make an official announcement.
"We are down to two substantive candidates and by August 23 will be in a position to say who."
The Gleaner asked Morgan if Donaldson would likely go up against Chang, and his response was, "Because of certain pending discussions and consultations taking place at the highest level of the party executive, we can't make any announcement in terms of who will run."
A lawyer by profession, Donaldson is a member of the Cornwall Bar Association.
He is one of two members of the JLP to cross the floor in recent times. The others are Joan Gordon-Webley and Gregory Myers, councillor of the Southfield Division, Black River, in St Elizabeth.