Dear Editor,

At 7:35 on the morning of Tuesday, June 13, I received a video clip showing the PNP’s constituency office in St Catherine South Eastern on fire. The office was reportedly set ablaze by arsonists weeks after their first attempt was foiled.

There are now rumblings in St Ann South Eastern and Westmoreland Western. I shall only comment on the first two constituencies mentioned as I don’t have enough details on the third. Suffice it to say that the manner in which the candidate selection process is being handled in the People’s National Party (PNP) seems most untidy, and the secretariat needs to establish clear guidelines for delegates and candidates.

In the case of St Catherine South Eastern, the delegates knew that the party leader could express his will and his choice would be ratified by the National Executive Council (NEC). Apparently, some delegates have said that they did not expect the party leader to exercise that option so early in the process. The point is that Mark Goding recognises a good candidate with a national profile, would like to take his party out of the doldrums, and does not want to be caught off guard when Prime Minister Andrew Holness calls the general election. Furthermore, he would like to give that candidate enough time to familiarise himself with the constituency. And, most important, were his party to succeed at the national polls, he would need a minister of health and Dr Morais Guy has indicated that he will not be contesting the next election.

All this seems to have escaped the average political activist. The length of time the councillor for the Edgewater Division has been eyeing the seat and working in the area pales in comparison to the above-mentioned factors. However, the fact is the PNP is still a divided party that hopes to wrest the reins of power from the incumbent Jamaica Labour Party (JLP). What is even more serious, though, is that there are thugs allied to the party who seem prepared to destroy it if their will isn’t satisfied. It is regrettable that both parties, over the years, have attracted to themselves louts who have no love for Jamaica and the vibrant democracy we would like to maintain. This is a turn-off to many voters.

Now, in the case of St Ann South Eastern — a problem constituency for the PNP for many years — the incumbent Lisa Hanna gave early notice that she would not be contesting the next general election.

The Jamaica Observer reported that Dr Kenneth Russell received 358 votes, Wavell Hinds 345, and Patricia Sutherland 177. Now, if these figures are correct, Dr Russell is not “a clear choice” as the article would have us believe. The candidates received 40.68 per cent, 39.20 per cent, and 20.11 per cent of the votes, respectively. Based on the reaction of Russell and Fitz Jackson, I prefer to go by the figures for Hinds reported by RJR, which said that Hinds received 245 votes. In this scenario, the candidates received 45.89 per cent, 31.41 per cent, and 22.69 per cent of the votes.

Be that as it may, the candidate who came out on top should have received 50 per cent plus one vote to be selected. The Electoral Monitoring Committee of the PNP met on Wednesday, June 14 to recommend a candidate. The PNP had said that it would allow St Ann South East to select its own candidate.

There should have been provision in the constitution for a second round about two weeks after. The secretariat should have anticipated that when you have more than two candidates, you would have none receiving the requisite number of votes.

What I have proposed above is practised in many European countries. The voters and candidates are aware of the policy in advance. Nobody should be declared winner in any contest with under 50 per cent plus one vote.

In the selection process, this scenario could recur. Are we going to call on the Electoral Monitoring Committee each time? What is clear is that many delegates and some candidates are not aware of how the process works.

The secretariat needs to tidy up its handling of these matters.

Norman W M Thompson

norms74160@gmail.com