Howard Campbell, Gleaner Writer
WITH THE deadline for groups in the People's National Party (PNP) presidential race to nominate their delegates just two days away, nomination forms came in at a trickle on the weekend, according to Maureen Webber, the party's deputy general secretary. Ms. Webber told The Gleaner that up to noon yesterday, 700 nomination forms were handed in at the party's Old Hope Road headquarters.
"Things have been pretty slow, I imagine because there's been an extension (of the deadline). We were expecting a bit of a rush this weekend but it's been average," she said.
Today was the initial deadline for the 2,758 groups from 57 constituencies to name their delegates but last Thursday, PNP Chairman Bobby Pickersgill announced that they would be given an additional two days in which to so.
LIST WILL BE READY
The voters list, he said, would be ready by February 10. The final list of 3,944 delegates will be ready by February 17, eight days before the internal poll takes place at Jamaica College in St. Andrew.
The breakdown of group delegates reads: constituency groups (2,758), National Executive Council (225), National Workers Union (50) and councillors (46).
The legitimacy of some groups has been a sensitive issue with the Team Portia camp of Local Government, Community Development and Sport Minister, Portia Simpson Miller. She is one of four candidates in the race to succeed P.J. Patterson as PNP president and Prime Minister of Jamaica. In January Paul Burke, her deputy campaign manager, called for a thorough screening of these groups by the PNP secretariat to ensure a legitimate voters' list. Yesterday, Webber said there was no evidence of fraud.
"The persons listed are delegates, all members of the party," she said.
Dr. Peter Phillips, Minister of National Security, Minister of Finance, Dr. Omar Davies and former Water and Housing Minister, Dr. Karl Blythe, are the other contenders in the PNP's succession race.
