By Garwin Davis, Assistant News Editor 
Patterson
IN WHAT might be his clearest indication yet of the date of the upcoming general election, Prime Minister P. J. Patterson on Wednesday night in Annotto Bay, St. Mary, hinted at the possibility of it being around the end of September.
Addressing a huge turnout of supporters of the People's National Party's Region Two constituencies, Mr. Patterson noted that the Court of Appeal, now in recess, would not have the time on its resumption to rule on a critical court matter prior to the general election.
"We have appealed the court's decision to reverse the result of the North East St. Catherine seat in favour of Abe Dabdoub, after the last election," Mr. Patterson told the gathering. "We have appealed so Phyllis Mitchell can reclaim what is rightfully hers. I don't want to give away any secret, but the court is currently on leave and will not have the time to address this matter when it returns. Either way, we are going to make sure this doesn't happen again. We are going to make sure that this time it will not be close. There will be no questions asked."
Mrs. Mitchell defeated Mr. Dabdoub of the Jamaica Labour Party in the 1997 general election. The JLP candidate challenged the result in court, citing major irregularities. After nearly four years of legal wrangling, the court subsequently overturned the election result in his favour.
Checks made yesterday by The Gleaner showed that the Appeal Court is to resume on September 23 for the Michaelmas session, the last before Christmas.
The Prime Minister, who has been doing a weekly presentation of candidates at political rallies for the PNP's six regions islandwide, said, "I will fly the gate when I know everybody is ready."
Checks by The Gleaner revealed that Mr. Patterson's final presentation of candidates is likely to be completed on August 24 in Montego Bay for the party's Region Six constituencies, comprising the parishes of Hanover, St. James and Westmoreland. The event, which is being billed as "the grand gala of them all", will also coincide with the opening of Phase One of the North Coast Highway leading from Montego Bay to Negril.
And, in predicting that the PNP could win by a landslide, despite what the polls have been showing, Mr. Patterson said that the JLP, since its North East St. Ann by-election victory last year March, had been moving around with a false sense of security.
Mr. Patterson said that the by-election defeat taught his party a valuable lesson - it forced the PNP back to the drawing board.
"I man did not quarrel with anybody, I did not trouble anybody. I just went about my business quietly," he said. "I man just make sure the people dem get water, light, hospital beds, telephones and roads. Last November, I told two of my colleagues to take a little leave from the Cabinet and go and rebuild the PNP at the grassroots level... We will take care of the business of Government. When the PNP is ready, no force in the island, in the Caribbean and the world can turn us back."
The candidates presented were Anthony Hylton, St. Thomas Western; Dr. Fenton Ferguson, St. Thomas Eastern; Dr. Donald Rhodd, Portland East; Errol Ennis; Portland West; Dr. Morris Guy, St. Mary Central; Dr. Neill McGill, St. Mary Western; and Harry Douglas, St. Mary South East.
