‘If it is not Craig Oates we will be sitting at home’
Rejection of aspiring caretaker candidate triggers major fallout between PNP and party executives in Hanover
Published:Monday | December 11, 2023 | 12:05 AMBryan Miller/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
UNEASE HAS been residing in Hanover Eastern among the constituency executive of the People’s National Party (PNP) following the rejection of aspiring caretaker candidate for that constituency, Craig Oates.
The 49-year-old former policeman, now businessman, received his marching orders from the party in a letter under the signature of general secretary Dr Dayton Campbell.
Urgent meeting
The Gleaner is in receipt of a letter from the constituency executive, dated November 9, 2023, and addressed to Campbell, which was calling for an urgent meeting with the leadership of the PNP under conditions which will entertain full participation by all.
The letter also outlined that the members of the executive body are not prepared to accept any imposed candidate in the constituency.
According to the letter, the party had set a virtual meeting with the group for November 10, and it was against that background that the executive group was proposing a face-to-face meeting, as sections of the Hanover parish have internet connectivity problems, and so some members of the executive body would not be able to participate because of their location.
“A second motion was moved and members unanimously agreed that we will not accept any other comrade for Member of Parliament candidate other than Comrade Craig Oates, a native of the constituency,” the letter to the general secretary read.
“Comrade Craig Oates has served the people of Hanover Eastern with love and respect, he is our voice and we stand firm in supporting him for Member of Parliament candidate in Hanover Eastern,” the letter from the constituency executive under the signature of the constituency secretary, and with the signatures of some 15 executive members attached, concluded.
Information reaching The Gleaner is that no meeting has been held between the party’s leadership and the constituency executive to date, while Oates has been issued with a letter notifying him that his aspirations to become the party’s standard bearer in that constituency “is regrettably at an end”.
Hold strain
The Gleaner has been informed that party faithfuls in Hanover Eastern were planning to let their voices be heard publicly about the matter, but Oates, who was overseas, had begged his supporters - through a message on social media - to hold strain until he returns to the island in a matter of weeks.
“I am calling on all my supporters not to be disruptive or disrespectful to the party, do not burn any party shirt, emblem, or anything for the party, do not block any road, as we are going to stand together and choose for Hanover, one way or the other,” Oates pleaded in the video clip.
He said he will be back in Jamaica soon and will be having a public meeting to explain the current situation to his supporters.
Meanwhile, the message out of the constituency executive is that they were all taken by surprise by the recent situation, and they are very upset by the developments.
“It’s a shocker for us, because we are all geared up to work with Craig, he has been the person who has been at the forefront for us, as others have come and left, once they are not in a winning position,” one executive member stated.
“Oates has been the person who has revived the party machinery in the constituency. A lot of us were not interested in the political happenings any more, and he has revived our interest and got us back in the mode to work for party and parish,” another executive said.
A third opined: “We were going to take our statement all the way to Kingston, but he (Oates) has asked us not to. But we will not be working with no one who the party decides to impose on us, if it is not Craig Oates, we will be sitting at home.”
In the meantime, The Gleaner understands that the following four persons are being considered for the post as constituency representative, PNP Senator Janice Allen; former PNP Candidate in a St James constituency, Henry McCurdy; Deputy Mayor of Lucea, Councillor Andria Dehaney-Grant; and David Tulloch, son of past PNP Member of Parliament, Francis Tulloch.