PNP still undecided on by-election

Carl Gilchrist, Gleaner Writer

The Opposition People's National Party (PNP) continued its organisational restructuring with little or no surprises in its election of members to its executive during a meeting at Holiday Haven Resort in Runaway Bay, St Ann, yesterday.

However, the PNP did not discuss the matter of a by-election in North East St Ann as was anticipated, deciding instead to await the outcome of court proceedings to make public its decision on whether to contest.

During the meeting, held a week after the party's annual conference, party Chairman Robert Pickersgill and Deputy Chairman Anthony Hylton were returned unopposed to their respective positions.

Eleven other members were chosen to complete the executive. They are (in order of most votes) Omar Davies, Raymond Pryce, John Junor, Basil Waite, Wykeham McNeill, Eugene Kelly, Denise Daley, Lucius Thomas, Karlene Fenton, Sophia Lowe and Richard Parchment

Party President Portia Simpson Miller, who addressed the meeting, congratulated her team for what she described as an excellent conference earlier this month.

The party's secretariat, headed by General Secretary Peter Bunting, was congratulated for ensuring the success of the conference.

Vibe lifted

Simpson Miller told the meeting that the conference had lifted the vibe of the party and urged members to use the momentum going into the upcoming political year.

Deputy General Secretary Julian Robinson said the party would next be electing a legal adviser (a post currently held by A.J. Nicholson) and treasurer (a post currently held by Mark Golding).

Regarding the party's Progressive Agenda, Robinson said the PNP would be having public consultation on the issue.

"We'll have public consultation on the Progressive Agenda, we plan to complete the selection of our candidates for all parliamentary seats and ensure that we are in a state of readiness in case an election is called. So it's really ensuring that the organisational work is done," Robinson said.