3 councillors resign from PNP in Western Westmoreland over Hayles’ selection

The People’s National Party (PNP) has suffered another setback in its push to showcase the united front it may need to become the next government, following yesterday’s resignation from the party by three sitting councillors in the Western Westmoreland constituency.

The three councillors are Ian Myles, who represents the Little London division; Garfield James, who represents the Sheffield division; and Lawton McKenzie, who represents the Grange Hill division.

They officially signed off on their relationship with the PNP during a press conference held at the Comingo Hotel in Savanna-la-Mar in the parish.

They indicated that moving forward they would operate as independents.

“It is indeed a day of mixed emotions, mixed feelings. If you notice, most persons are wearing black. Sadly, it is not what we signed up for when we joined this local movement, the PNP,” Myles told supporters during the press conference.

“The PNP deals with democratic socialism, that’s the party that we joined, the party that we love. But, in more recent times, we have seen a shift, a change, I don’t know what has arisen but that has taken over and the party has started rewarding loyalty instead of listening to the plea of the ordinary people.”

Myles, who has served as councillor for Little London for the past two terms, told reporters that they had earlier informed the party that they would not be supporting the then aspirant, Ian Hayles.

McKenzie, who has been serving in Grange Hill for five terms, said that they, as councillors, would not sit idly by and allow persons within the party to destroy what they have worked so hard to build in Western Westmoreland.

“Comrades, it gone. Them a mash up the party. Mi a talk to the nation now, the gang of four, they don’t want to listen.”

McKenzie said when he was contacted by PNP President Mark Golding, he had indicated to the party leader that he had a candidate for the constituency. He said Golding asked who the candidate was and, though he told him it was Councillor Garfield James, the party still opted to have a runoff.

The three councillors said they would not work with Hayles, who they claimed has wreaked havoc in the party, and that their choice and the people’s choice was James.

The PNP, in reaction to the resignation of the councillors, issued a statement through its general secretary, Dr Dayton Campbell, extending gratitude to the men for their service and wishing them the best in their future endeavours.

“Western Westmoreland recently participated in a democratic exercise to select its MP candidate. These three councillors were unsuccessful in their campaign for Mr Garfield James to be the candidate. The delegates of the party and the citizens of the constituency have spoken, and the party is moving forward in favour of democracy and the people’s will,” the release further stated.

Almost simultaneously, the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) issued a release acknowledging the resignation of the three councillors.

The JLP through its general secretary, Dr Horace Chang, said it took note of the resignations and viewed them as indicative of the ongoing decline within the PNP under Golding’s leadership.

Chang, in his statement, also stressed the JLP’s support for the councillors in their “struggle for leadership of unquestioned integrity in politics of Western Westmoreland”.

The resignation of the three councillors came just few weeks after disgruntled PNP supporters staged a massive demonstration in Little London Square, protesting against Hayles as their representative.