PNP moves to settle differences in Hanover East, announces local gov’t candidates

Western Bureau:

The People’s National Party (PNP) will be presenting its seven prospective local government election candidates for Hanover during a political function slated for January 21 next year at a venue to be decided in the parish capital, Lucea.

The announcement was made to Hanover Eastern constituency executive members during a reconciliatory meeting between them and the party’s secretariat, which was held at the Bethel Primary School, in Hopewell on December 18.

With ongoing disagreements between the party executive and the Hanover Eastern constituency executive, surrounding the PNP’s recent rejection of Craig Oates, an aspiring PNP candidate for the next general election, a long overdue meeting between the two sides was called by the party executive to iron out the differences between them.

PNP General Secretary Dr Dayton Campbell led a team of the party’s executive members, accompanied by some of its regional executive members, to the meeting in Hopewell. During the meeting, he sought to explain the process involved in any individual being selected to represent the party as an aspiring member of parliament, while also outlining the reasons Oates was rejected.

While pointing out that the decision for the rejection of Oates was at both the regional and national levels, Campbell went on to explain that the focus of the party was now on ensuring that it has all its candidates for the upcoming local government election, which is constitutionally due by the end of February 2024.

Supporters of Oates on the constituency executive did not fail to voice their opinions on the rejection of their preferred candidate, some of them pointing out that they were not prepared to work with any other. With that in mind, they urged the party to take another look at the decision on Oates.

Campbell however pointed out that he could not change the decision of the party, but promised to bring their views to the PNP’s executive body.

COOPERATION OF SUPPORTERS

He went on to ask for the cooperation of the supporters of the party in relation to the local government election standard-bearers who have been selected, with the hope that the PNP might retain its majority in the Hanover Municipal Corporation.

“Most of us within the constituency are not prepared to work for any other candidate as it was Oates who took us out of our state of flux, and revived the party organisation in the constituency, so any stranger coming better bring their workers and voters with them, or else them lose before them start,” one constituency executive member told The Gleaner.

“All I am doing is asking Mr Oates to cool him foot and watch the ride, as I believe there is still a chance for the party to reconsider his situation,” another said.

Oates, who was elected unopposed as constituency chairman in July 2023, and had been campaigning in the Hanover Eastern constituency for several months before, was given marching orders in November through a letter from the party, under the signature of Campbell, outlining that he had not met certain criteria set out by the party for its aspiring candidates.

The letter pointed out that results of polls done by the party in the constituency were not showing favourable results for Oates, and that that, along with other issues, have led to him being rejected by the party.

“The executive committee meeting on Monday November 13, 2023 discussed the poll results and the state of the constituency. Based on the results, and having looked at the current political landscape and the strategic direction the party aims to pursue, the executive has decided that your aspiration to become the party’s standard-bearer is regrettably at an end,” the rejection letter read.

While the party has not named a replacement for Oates, Campbell noted at the meeting that the application process for aspirants to represent the party at the next general election will not be reopened at this point in time, as the party was now concentrating on the upcoming local government election, which is constitutionally due by February.

bryan.miller@gleanerjm.com