Robert Hart, Staff ReporterDERRICK SMITH, a deputy leader of the Jamaica Labour Party, says he will not be a candidate for the soon-to-be-vacant leadership of the opposition party.
Mr. Smith, who had been touted as a likely candidate for the top spot when party leader Edward Seaga retires in November, told The Gleaner yesterday that he was unhappy with the results of 'due diligence' checks into his chances for victory.
"Having completed that exercise, I have decided not to make myself available," he said. "I wasn't satisfied with the level of commitment from certain key functionaries that, in my view, it was vitally important to have fully on board to guarantee a victory."
Mr. Smith did not reveal the identities of those functionaries, but stressed that he had not been rejected by the group of eight JLP Members of Parliament which is preparing a challenge against the expected candidature of party chairman Bruce Golding. The eight 'traditionalist' MPs were informed of Mr. Smith's decision at a meeting on Tuesday night.
FIELD NARROWED DOWN
The field of candidates from within the eight has now been narrowed down with Pearnel Charles emerging as the front-runner. Audley Shaw, another highly-touted prospective candidate, has also pulled himself from the race, but yesterday he refused to discuss the matter.
"I'm not going to talk about that now. At the appropriate time, I'll make an announcement," he said.
Mr. Charles also refused to discuss his position, noting that he was not willing to discuss politics until after the funeral of former Prime Minister and colleague trade unionist Hugh Shearer. "Right after the funeral I will be available to answer all questions in the field of politics," he said. Mr. Shearer is to be buried on July 18.
Along with Smith, Shaw and Charles, the group of eight consists of MPs Olivia 'Babsy' Grange, Andrew Holness, Abe Dabdoub, Mike Henry and Edmund Bartlett. Mr. Bartlett and Mr. Henry are the only other members of the group whose names are being circulated as possible leadership contenders.
But yesterday, Mr. Dabdoub indicated that the final decision on a candidate could be a surprise to the public. "The party will elect a good replacement for Mr. Seaga with which the country will be well pleased, even if it isn't who they expect," he said.
Mr. Seaga, who has led the JLP for the last 30 years, announced last week that he intends to retire from his post as party leader at the annual conference in November. It has been widely speculated that Mr. Seaga was forced out by members of the so-called reformist faction in the party. Mr. Golding is considered the leader of that group.
