FORMER Miss Jamaica Universe (2000) Dr Saphire Longmore has returned to representational politics and will be the standard bearer for the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) in the troubled St Elizabeth North East constituency.

Longmore, a consultant psychiatrist who has served both the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) and the University Hospital of the West Indies, and was a last-minute candidate for the JLP in St Andrew Eastern in 2011, will replace Rex Walker who was originally selected to represent the JLP.

Speculation is that with the divisions within the PNP’s ranks triggered by the ousting of Raymond Pryce, the demonstrations staged by his supporters for him to return, plus the entrance of two independent candidates with ties to the PNP, the JLP has its best chance since 1980 to win the seat.

Longmore is no stranger to politics, as she lost to sitting St Andrew Eastern MP Andre Hylton by less than 300 votes, after replacing the then incumbent, the JLP’s Dr St Aubyn Bartlett, in 2011.

She was among the 63 JLP candidates for the upcoming general election who took part in yesterday’s candidates’ meeting at the JLP’s headquarters at Belmont Road in St Andrew.

“She is definitely the new candidate for the seat, and she has strong family ties to the area, which should boost her chances,” according to former JLP MP for neighbouring St Elizabeth South East constituency Franklin Witter.

There were some raised eyebrows after her selection became known yesterday, as some critics referred to a newspaper article published in May last year, which suggested that Longmore may have been thinking of joining the PNP. However, her supporters insisted that Longmore had remained a Labourite throughout the period and is determined to make a strong effort to snatch the seat from the PNP.

The constituency is currently represented by first-time People’s National Party (PNP) Member of Parliament Raymond Pryce. But the PNP recently dumped Pryce as the party’s candidate and replaced him with Santa Cruz businessman Evon Redman. However, since Pryce’s replacement there has been increasing strife and a fall-out within the ranks of the PNP.

The division in the PNP has also encouraged two independent candidates — Joseph Patterson, founder and chairman of United Independents’ Congress, and Delroy Slowley to throw their hats into the ring.