PNP reviews performance in EC St James constituency By Vernon Daley, Staff Reporter THE PEOPLE'S National Party (PNP) has begun a review of its performance in the East Central St. James constituency, even as the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) boasts that the constituency is theirs for the taking in the next general election. General-Secretary of the PNP Maxine Henry-Wilson last week confirmed that a review of the constituency was taking place but said this was part of a general programme of assessing several constituencies as the party crafts its strategy for the elections, constitutionally due by December next year. In the meantime, political sources told The Gleaner that recent election polling in the constituency show the JLP candidate Ed Bartlett far ahead of Member of Parliament for the area and Speaker of the House, Violet Neilson. This was, however, shrugged off by Mrs. Henry-Wilson. "That's not our understanding," she said, arguing that the party's own polls had showed that both candidates were neck-and-neck. Mr. Bartlett, who boasted that he was on track to winning the seat in the next election, accused Mrs. Neilson of not doing enough to deal with a major issue such as the poor road conditions in the constituency. Mrs. Neilson is reportedly ill and has been out of the country for the last few weeks. According to sources she has been ailing for some time and is not likely to seek re-election. Mrs. Henry-Wilson, however, said she could not confirm this as she had not spoken to the MP before she left the island. She said Mrs. Neilson is due back in the island at the end of this month and that a decision on who will represent the constituency will be made before the party's conference in September. Gleaner sources report that the PNP's councillor for the John's Hall Division in the constituency Donald Colomathi has stated in interest in representing the Party in the next election. But while backing the efforts of Mrs. Nielson in the constituency the party's General Secretary nevertheless suggested that she had not done enough to make her position secure and her re-election certain. "She had been very vigorous in her representation and has had some success but not all that she would be happy with," Mrs. Henry-Wilson said. She added that the MP has also been frustrated by that fact that she has not received the resources to develop the constituency.
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