Portia expected to announce exit date tomorrow

The Gleaner/Power106 News Centre understands that President of the People's National Party (PNP) Portia Simpson Miller is expected to announce tomorrow that she will demit office at the end of next month.

According to party insiders, Simpson Miller is expected to make the announcement during a meeting of the PNP's National Executive Council (NEC), which is scheduled to take place at the Hatfield Primary and Junior High School.

PNP General Secretary Julian Robinson told our news centre yesterday afternoon that he could not confirm that.

However, Robinson confirmed that members of the party's NEC will meet in northwest Manchester tomorrow and says, as is the norm, Simpson Miller will address the meeting.

Reports of Simpson Miller's pending announcement comes amid claims that there has been unease among senior members of the PNP over her failure to announce a timetable for her departure as PNP president.

After more than 40 years as member of parliament for South West St Andrew, Simpson Miller, the country's first female prime minister, announced last month that she would not seek another term as party leader.