Yesterday’s vote by the members of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the People’s National Party (PNP) to elect Dr Angela Brown Burke, member of parliament (MP) for St Andrew South Western, as the party’s first female chairman has come as a shock to senior Comrades, who contend that the party needs a “uniter, not a divider”.

Brown Burke defeated Horace Dalley, who was acting in the position since July, when then chairman, Phillip Paulwell, who was also a vice-president, stepped down from the posts.

Now the twice-lucky Brown Burke, who had supported Mark Golding’s victorious presidential bid last year against Lisa Hanna, will take the reins to play a central role in leading the charge to bring together the still-fractious camps.

“For the party’s sake, let us see what is going to happen, but I can tell you, she is not a uniter and the delegates erred. Dalley was the clear choice,” a senior Comrade told The Sunday Gleaner last night.

A senior Comrade wished her luck in bringing together the “Portia [Simpson Miller], Peter [Phillips], [Peter] Bunting, Lisa [Hanna] and Mark [Golding] sides”, noting still-festering wounds of other leadership match-ups from more than a decade ago.

Brown Burke’s public spats with her own Comrades have been cited as “warnings the delegates continue to ignore”, a senior party member contended.

But, in her acceptance, a PNP release noted, Brown Burke said that she and Dalley had “agreed at the onset that we would conduct our campaigns consistent with the democratic principles of our party. We both committed to running decent and mutually respectful campaigns. ... I am proud that we have achieved that.”

The release said that both Brown Burke and Dalley gave their commitments towards uniting and strengthening the party.

The election, which was held at Kendal Camp and Conference Centre in Manchester, saw Brown Burke polling 147 votes to Dalley’s 120.

Gracious in defeat, Dalley said, “It is with great respect that I present to you the new chairman of the People’s National Party, Comrade Angela Brown Burke.”

Senator Dr Floyd Morris has been appointed the party’s new deputy chairman.