By Angelo Laurence, Gleaner WriterMANCHESTER, Mandeville:
RABBLE ROUSERS claiming to be supporters of the ruling People's National Party (PNP), who showed up at the party's central Manchester constituency meeting at the Manchester High School last Sunday received a harsh tongue lashing from Dean Peart, Member of Parliament for north west Manchester and Minister of Lands and the Environment.
The supporters, numbering about 30, dressed in the party's orange colour gathered from as early as 2 p.m. for the meeting, which did not get under way until well after 6 p.m. They told The Gleaner that they were there to express support for Local Government Minister Portia Simspon Miller in her bid to succeed P.J. Patterson as leader of the PNP.
However, their boisterous and disorderly conduct, including the use of expletives directed at Member of Parliament for the host constituency John Junor as well as Minister of National Security Peter Phillips, drew a stern response from Mr. Peart. Phillips is also a contender to succeed Patterson.
When the National Security Minister arrived at the meeting he was greeted by shouts of "Portia, Portia". One member of the group told The Gleaner that they were organised by a well-known businessman and former supporter of John Junor, who has indicated that he will retire from representational politics before the next general election.
According to the informant the group held a closed door meeting at the Golf View Hotel in Mandeville last Thursday with Minister of Local Government Portia Simpson Miller. The source said that the businessman, who has fallen out of favour with Mr. Junor, is now giving his support to Portia Simpson Miller a development which threatens to split the central Manchester PNP organisation into pro-Simpson Miller and pro-Phillips factions.
But Mr. Peart chided the group for not respecting the office which Mr. Phillips holds as National Security Ministry.
Supporters of Phillips and Simpson Miller also heckled each other at the PNP region three conference at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston on Sunday.
