PNP integrity body to hand in St Bess candidate report
Published:Friday | July 16, 2010 | 12:00 AM
Gary Spaulding, Senior Gleaner Writer
A mysterious air of secrecy seems to have shrouded the findings of the newly established integrity commission which assessed five contenders who are set to square off for the right to run as the People's National Party's (PNP) candidate in North East St Elizabeth at the next general election.
The exercise was carried out on Tuesday, but the commission has firmly closed the door on information on the outcome of the in-camera exercise.
The five contenders hoping to find favour with PNP delegates in North East St Elizabeth in Sunday's run-off at the St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS).
Burchell Whiteman, who speaks for the five member-commission, confirmed that the five aspirants faced the commission but declined to say whether any of them were dropped from the process.
The five contenders are Nigel Pagon, son of Sydney Pagon - former member of parliament for the constituency; Basil Waite, a former People's National Party Youth Organisation president; Winston Samuels, a teacher at Hampton School in the parish; Wensworth Skeffery, region five chairman and Lynden Rose, a dentist.
All the candidates have had close associations in the constituency.
Tuesday's session with the aspirants was also the first big test for the Wellesley Blair-led commission, which comprises a total of three independent members.
Way paved
The way was paved for a contest when a decision was made by the top brass of the PNP to replace embattled parliamentary representative Kern Spencer, who remains embroiled in a court battle on allegations he misused funds in a Cuban light bulb project that he was assigned to administer while a junior minister of government.
The vacancy cleared the way for a rush on the strong PNP seat, accompanied by allegations and altercations, forcing the PNP to rein in some of the candidates whose supporters at one point got embroiled in a brawl.
Whiteman characterised the exercise as a good first experience for the commission, particularly the independent members.
He would not say whether any of the candidates got failing grades, but indicated that the commission's report would be forwarded to the party leadership.
Up to yesterday, the secretariat said it had not received the commission's report.
Asked what useful purpose the commission's findings would serve, so close to Sunday's contest, Whiteman admitted this was one of the challenges that it faced.
He said the matter would be corrected ahead of future contests as the process was still in a development phase.
Whiteman was also quick to point out that the outcome of Sunday's run-off did not guarantee the winner the right to run on the party ticket.
He stressed there were other considerations which would have to be factored in, including the Commission's findings.
An integrity commission of this nature is the first to be established in either of the two major political parties.