JLP looks to sharpen up with raft of changes announced at Central Exec meeting
Published:Monday | April 22, 2024 | 12:08 AMAndre Williams/Staff Reporter
The Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) first Central Executive meeting in the aftermath of the bruising February 26 local government elections has ushered in a raft of changes by way of resignations from some key stakeholders.
Among the notables to step down is Robert Nesta Morgan as chairman of the JLP’s public relations committee.
Morgan is a two-term member of parliament (MP) for Clarendon North Central and the minister of information.
Confirmation of the new direction followed the party’s Central Executive meeting yesterday, held at the JLP’s headquarters on Belmont Road in St Andrew.
The Central Executive is the JLP’s highest decision-making body outside of annual conference.
Another strategic development was the appointment of Daryl Vaz, MP for Portland Western, as the new JLP treasurer.
Vaz replaces Senator Aubyn Hill, who has been reassigned to the party’s secretariat, where he will oversee strategic development, among other responsibilities.
Vaz, who is a well-known fundraiser within the JLP, will take charge of growing the JLP’s purse ahead of the next general elections, due next year.
He was, however, noticeably absent yesterday from the party’s Belmont Road headquarters in St Andrew as he is reportedly mourning the loss of his mother, who The Gleaner understands died yesterday.
Short meeting
Yesterday’s Central Executive meeting was a relatively short one, which saw Prime Minister Andrew Holness, the JLP leader, arriving at Belmont Road around 12:50 p.m. and departing the grounds approximately 2:10 p.m.
He did not speak with the media, and at least two MPs on hand told journalists who sought dialogue that they were advised not to discuss what took place at the meeting.
They asked that questions be directed to senior party officers.
The Gleaner further gathered that Homer Davis, MP for St James Southern, and Audley Gordon, executive director of the National Solid Waste Management Authority, have also resigned their posts in the JLP as deputy general secretary for regions four and one, respectively.
Deputy Mayor of Kingston Delroy Williams is the new deputy general secretary in charge of Area One while Senator Charles Sinclair, deputy president of the Senate, will take over the same position in Area Four.
Following the meeting, several key party personnel were seen in groups, apparently discussing the raft of changes.
The Gleaner saw Dr Christopher Tufton, Audley Shaw, Floyd Green, Robert ‘Big Rob’ Miller, Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn, Dr Andrew Wheatley and Everald Warmington, among others.
Desmond McKenzie appeared to leave the venue before the arrival of the JLP leader, but there was no indication as to why.
In a Sunday Gleaner report, Holness was urged to go to the meeting with political guns blazing, ready to crack the whip at the party executive and officers by removing members whose time had come and to install effective persons in their stead immediately.
There has also been speculation about an impending Cabinet reshuffle.
Party supporters who were at the Belmont Road gate yesterday, awaiting the conclusion of the Central Executive meeting, could be heard urging party representatives who passed them at the entrance to bring a message that they should not be left.
“Dem who sit at the table can’t win elections without we the people on the ground. No election is won without the people who carry out the work of the party. Please tell them that when you get inside,” a male JLP supporter shouted to a JLP councillor, who was moving hastily to catch the meeting.