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Phillips selects Andre Haughton for Senate; reselects Crawford

Published:Sunday | April 14, 2019 | 12:00 AM
People's National Party President Peter Phillips

Romario Scott, Gleaner Writer

President of the People's National Party (PNP), Dr Peter Phillips, has announced the selection of university lecturer Dr Andre' Haughton to represent the party in the Senate.

Haughton is replacing Noel Sloley who has resigned. An economist and lecturer at the University of the West Indies, Haughton was also announced as the party's representative for the West Central St James seat in January.

Phillips has also announced the reselection of Damion Crawford to represent the party in the Senate. Crawford had resigned to contest the East Portland by election, which he lost.

The announcements were made a short while ago during Phillips' address to a meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) at the University of the West Indies, Mona.

The NEC meeting is the first since the party's historic defeat in the East Portland by-election on April 4. The Jamaica Labour Party's Ann-Marie Vaz defeated the PNP's Crawford in the by-election, overturning the orange party's 30-year control of the rural constituency.

Phillips' leadership is expected to be among the issues discussed at today's meeting. However, the NEC is expected to support a resolution for his continued leadership of the Opposition party.

The PNP leader began his sober address to the packed meeting at 1:30 p.m., telling Comrades that they have to settle down and begin to seriously examine the changing political landscape of the country.

This is while scores of supporters wearing orange-coloured T-shirts with his name and image and the words "East Central St Andrew" emblazoned across the front are positioned on the fringes of the meeting room. East Central St Andrew is the constituency represented by Phillips.  

More details will follow.

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