Howard Campbell, Gleaner Writer
Burchell Whiteman (left), general secretary of the People's National Party (PNP), in discussion with Maureen Webber (centre), deputy general secretary, and Robert Pickersgill, PNP chairman. Occasion was a press conference yesterday on the upcoming PNP presidential election, at the party's Old Hope Road headquarters. - JUNIOR DOWIE/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
AS THE contest to succeed P.J. Patterson as president of the People's National Party (PNP) nears a crescendo, the party yesterday issued strict guidelines for the elections to be held on Saturday at Jamaica College in St. Andrew.
At the same time, party chairman Bobby Pickersgill said yesterday that if there were no outright winner of the four-candidate contest, there would be a subsequent run-off.
"In the event that there exists a tie between the top candidates, there will be a run-off which will be held no later than one week after February 25, 2006," Pickersgill told reporters at the party's Old Hope Road headquarters.
SECRET BALLOT
Pickersgill said that activities are scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday with the opening of registration and screening areas. Voting begins at 9:00 a.m. when the polling stations open, and closes at 2:00 p.m. Voting will be done by secret ballot.
Apart from Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) officials and the four monitors the candidates are granted to observe the counting process, Mr. Pickersgill said only the 3,944 delegates eligible to vote will be allowed on to the Jamaica College compound. "It's a Special Delegates Conference and we hope that supporters will respect that and stay away," Mr. Pickersgill said during yesterday's press conference at the PNP's headquarters.
NO COMMUNICATION DEVICES
EOJ officials and candidate monitors will be required to turn over all communication devices (cellphones, etc.) until the announcement of results at 6:00 p.m. at the party's headquarters.
Minister of National Security, Dr. Peter Phillips, Local Govern-ment, Community Development and Sport Minister, Portia Simp-son Miller, Finance Minister, Dr. Omar Davies, and party vice-president, Dr. Karl Blythe, are the candidates to replace P.J. Patterson as PNP president. The winner will also become Jamaica's seventh Prime Minister.
Meanwhile, the final delegates list was completed yesterday.
Candidates' camps
Chinese Benevolent Society -- Phillips
Hope United Church -- Simpson Miller
University of Technology -- Davies.
