SPALDINGS, Clarendon:
MARK AZAN, the Downtown Kingston businessman, and a member of the well-known Azan family of the Spaldings, Christiana area, has dissociated the family politically from his cousin, Richard Azan, who is running for the People's National Party (PNP) in Clarendon North Western.
Mark Azan, speaking Sunday night at a Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) rally in Spaldings, Clarendon, following a tour of upper Clarendon by Edward Seaga, the JLP leader, said that the Azan clan was not giving its blessings to Richard, his 38-year-old cousin.
According to Mark Azan, all the members of the Azan family had supported the JLP since it's inception and they could not think of supporting any member of the family who intended to enter representational politics on a PNP ticket.
Making his point to a sea of green-clad, flag-waving 'Labourites' who crammed the town of Spaldings to hear Mr. Seaga's speech, he called on them to cast their eyes upstairs the two-storey business place which has been run by the Azans in that town for several decades.
Standing there with a bell was George Azan, 99 years old, grandfather of Richard, the PNP candidate, and uncle of Mark. He rang the bell endorsing every sentence of Mark's denouncement of Richard's association with the PNP.
"Look up there. That is the oldest member of the Azan family. He will be 100 years old in October. That is the 'Don Azan' and he is a 'Labourite'. Look at him. That bell he is ringing is Bustamante give him. Him is a 'Labourite'," shouted Mark Azan.
He stated that despite his cousin's running for the PNP in Clarendon North West, his support was with Clifton Stone, the JLP candidate and incumbent Member of Parliament for the constituency.
Over the years there have been at least two cases in which brothers have represented opposing political parties in Parliament.
