PNP friends in East Portland against decision to reinstate Bloomfield

A group in Portland calling itself Friends of Portland is rejecting the decision by the leadership of the People's National Party (PNP) to reinstate Dr Lynvale Bloomfield as the party's candidate in East Portland for the next general election.

Bloomfield was rejected by delegates as the PNP's standard bearer for the next general election in an internal poll last month. Attorney-at-law Andrea Moore was selected in a narrow victory of 141 votes to Bloomfield's 133. 

The PNP hierarchy, however, last week overruled delegates and reinstated Bloomfield, leading to protests and clashes in the constituency between supporters of both Bloomfield and Moore.

In an open message to the leadership this afternoon, Friends of Portland said the constituency was being taken for granted because the party can often depend on its vote no matter how poorly it has managed the constituency's affairs. Friends of  Portland said the constituency needs a member of parliament who will not only bolster the PNP's chances in an election, but a candidate who is interested, capable and has the energy and drive to develop the constituency.

The group said it found the PNP's decision insulting given poll findings which rated Bloomfield's performance as poor. The group pointed out that 59 per cent of the constituents have rated his performance as “poor” to “very poor”, and 20 per cent viewed his performance as “average”.

The group's message to the PNP comes as the party emerged on the weekend from a three-day retreat of campaign managers and candidates in St Ann expressing confidence in the leadership of the party and the Economic Reform Programme it has been undertaking to improve key economic fundamentals.