Focus group to help decide municipality mayoral candidate
Published:Wednesday | May 28, 2014 | 12:00 AM
Alicia Forrest, Gleaner Writer
PORTMORE, St Catherine:
LEADER OF the Opposition Andrew Holness has addressed the Jamaica Labour Party's (JLP) decision to have two potential candidates work the ground in Portmore as it prepares for the mayoral elections.
In responding to questions posed about his party's approach during the Political Education Forum held in Portmore on Saturday, Holness said a focus-group discussion is to be held to ensure that the party selects the right candidate.
"Both candidates are working, that much I know. The general secretary has been here several times, working with the leadership of Portmore. We have two steps to pass. The first step is that we are going to be conducting a focus-group research in Portmore. We want to make sure that we select the right candidate, the candidate that matches what the people want."
selection process
He assured supporters that a decision would be made soon, following completion of the selection process.
"I would agree that it would have been better to have one candidate established. I would agree that it [the decision] is a little bit late, we were hoping to have made it before, but it will be made shortly. My view on the matter is that if it were up to me, I would make the decision, but I want to go through the process. So I have to do the focus group, that is the wider consultation, and then we have to do our consultations internally with our workers to make sure we have the right candidate."
The potential candidates, Rev Welton Shettlewood and Lloyd Black, were introduced in April.
Acting Mayor of Portmore Leon Thomas has been serving in that capacity since last October, following the death of George Lee.