- Michael SloleyA supporter of Sonia Rickards, challenger for the People's National Party (PNP) ticket for the St. Andrew Western seat, talks to sitting Member of Parliament O.T. Williams, right, prior to the start of delegates poll to decide the candidacy, at the party's headquarters in St. Andrew yesterday.
Vernon Daley, Staff Reporter
THE embattled O.T. Williams, MP for St. Andrew Western, yesterday defeated Sonia Rickards and Dr. Jephthah Ford in an indicative poll that will guide Prime Minister P.J. Patterson in deciding who should be the party's candidate in the next election.
Some 746 delegates from the constituency were eligible to vote. Of this number, 239 cast their ballots in the poll held at the People's National Party's headquarters, St. Andrew. Mr. Williams received 129 votes; Mrs. Rickards 93; and Mr. Ford, 17.
However, an upset Mrs. Rickards yesterday charged that the poll was "abruptly stopped", preventing many of the delegates present from casting their votes. She went further to state that the poll was marred by "orchestrated" indiscipline.
She however stated that she would abide by whatever the decision the party eventually takes on who should run in the constituency.
But speaking to The Sunday Gleaner at about 6:30 p.m., just after the votes were counted, Deputy General Secretary of the PNP, Harry Douglas, dismissed as "sour grapes" the claims made by Mrs. Rickards about the poll.
According to him, every legitimate delegate who was present at the party headquarters yesterday was allowed to vote. He added that those who were not allowed to vote were not legitimate.
