By Omar Anderson and Barbara Gayle, Gleaner Reporters
Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) leader Edward Seaga (right), and would-be successor Pearnel Charles being interviewed outside the Supreme Court yesterday. - RUDOLPH BROWN/Chief Photographer
MR. JUSTICE Donald McIntosh yesterday set December 14 and 15 as the dates for lawyers representing competing factions within the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) to reappear before him for a possible settlement of their differences.
This latest development in what at best has been a rather tumultuous period for the JLP has all but confirmed that the party will not have a new leader at least for this year.
When the matter came up in chambers at the Supreme Court, Gayle Nelson, one of the lawyers representing leadership aspirant Pearnel Charles, told the judge he was seeking an adjournment of the matter along with an extension of the seven-day injunction, which should have expired yesterday. Party leader Edward Seaga's lawyer, Oswald James, did not oppose the application for an adjournment.
OPPOSED EXTENSION
However, Patrick Atkinson, attorney for the other JLP leadership contender, Bruce Golding, while not opposing the adjournment if it were for 10 days or less said he strongly opposed the extension of the injunction.
Mr. Seaga, who earlier had announced his intention to step down, should have been replaced as leader last Saturday at the JLP's annual conference at the National Arena. The conference was, however, postponed, following the injunction granted to Mr. Charles. His contention was that there were more than 2,000 questionable and illegally added names on the delegates' list. Mr. Charles was successful in getting a seven-day ex parte injunction, preventing the election of a new party leader.
Following a JLP Standing Committee meeting on Mon-day, it was agreed that a tribunal headed by attorney-at-law Harold Brady would meet with the two contenders to help settle the matter.
NO CONFERENCE THIS YEAR
Party general secretary Karl Samuda has all but conceded that there would be no annual conference this year, thus delaying the election of a new leader.
"It is, logistically, highly unlikely that a conference will be held any time this year," he told The Gleaner last night.
"The primary focus now is for the party to meet with both sides and to try to arrive at an out of court settlement in order to proceed over the next year to select a new leader. We also need a cooling off period to ensure that there isn't a single area of doubt as to the legitimacy of the leader at the next conference. We must work to remove all possibility for this to happen."
