PNP general secretary gave 'assurances' on membership status, Jess claims

Zuleika Jess, whose ambitions to run for vice president of the People's National Party (PNP) have been clipped, claims General Secretary Dr Dayton Campbell said her membership status would not be a problem.

She said Campbell discussed the matter with her at a meeting on June 22. 

"I was assured that my membership was not an issue and that there would be no attempt to block my candidacy on that basis," said Jess in a Facebook post Saturday in which she responded to a statement from the party explaining why she could not nominated for vice president. 

Campbell declined to comment on that point and directed attention to the party's official position.  

The PNP's executive committee deemed the Central Clarendon caretaker ineligible at an emergency meeting on July 7

The party stated that its constitution stipulates that to be nominated the individuals “….must have had membership in the  party for a minimum five year period, be a member of  a Recognized Constituency Committee, Regional Management  Committee or NEC  Member  and  must  have at  least twenty  four members signing their  nomination papers, twelve  of  whom  must  be  current  members of the National Executive Council from at least three Regions.”

It said a review of the records found that Jess' direct membership was suspended since no payment had been made since 2018 and her direct membership was then superseded and came to an end by her becoming a group member.

However, her group subsequently went into abeyance, it noted.

The PNP said Jess' membership is now provisional on account of her group being re-registered on January 31, 2022.

In her Facebook post, Jess said while she was hesitant in commenting publicly, she had no other choice but to respond. 

Jess said she became a direct member of the PNP through the party's youth organisation which she served as a legal advisor and one of their representatives to the party's National Executive Council (NEC).

The NEC is the PNP's highest decision making body outside of its annual conference.

Jess outlined that in 2018 she registered various party groups within her constituency, which made her a party member through the group structure. She said she was also a member of the Patriots since 2017 and held membership within the Party through several different avenues, simultaneously.

“In light of the fact that I was now paying for all those groups, including the one for which I was a member, I formed the view that it was clearly unnecessary to continue paying the yearly subscription for my direct membership. For the avoidance of doubt, membership dues were now being paid through the group structure and not through the direct membership structure,” she shared.

Jess said after announcing her availability for vice president, claims emerged that her membership status was in doubt. 

“I subsequently heard through the grapevines that an attempt would be made to prevent my nomination on the basis that I was not a member of the party. I reviewed the constitution and formed the view that this was not a tenable argument,” she noted, adding that she received legal advice that confirmed her position.

“I was advised that even if they were to take a technical point on my group membership, I could simply fall back on my direct membership by paying the annual subscription prior to nomination since there is no provision in our constitution that states that a direct member falls into abeyance. There is also no provision that states that a direct member is required to re-apply or re-register, as is the case with group membership,” she said.

Senior PNP officials have said decisions were taken months ago to avoid any internal elections to help the party recover from bruising contests following the trouncing in the 2020 general elections. 

There are four nominees for the four vice president positions - Donna Scott-Mottley, Ian Hayles, Mikael Phillips and Norman Scott. Incumbents Richard Azan and Eugene Kelly are not seeking reelection. 

- Cecelia Campbell-Livingston 

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