By George Henry, Freelance WriterSPALDINGS, Clarendon:
SCHOOL TEACHER Orville Hackett will be the candidate for the People's National Party (PNP) in the next Local Government elections in the Frankfield division of North West Clarendon.
Mr. Hackett, who teaches at the Edwin Allen High School, won the nod last Wednesday, when a planned consultation at the Sanguinetti Primary School failed to materialise following the withdrawal of his rival, Coleen Glaves.
It is not clear as to the reasons surrounding Miss. Glaves' withdrawal, but word coming out of the constituency is that she might have been asked by the PNP executive to pull out of the race to allow Hackett, who is believed to be the stronger candidate, to contest the local poll.
The Gleaner understands that the move to have Miss Glaves pull out of yesterday's consultation to make way for Mr. Hackett is not going down well with a number of delegates who were in favour of Glaves and could end up with a divide in the division.
However, Member of Parliament Richard Azan has refuted claims that Miss Glaves was talked out of the consultation to make way for Mr. Hackett.
He told The Gleaner that Miss. Glaves indicated last Friday that she would take part in the selection exercise. However, according to him, she informed the party on Monday that she had changed her mind and was pulling out of the race.
Mr. Azan says delegates were updated on the situation at a meeting held at the Frankfield Primary School and all appeared to have accepted the decision in good faith after endorsing Mr. Hackett as the party's candidate.
Mr. Hackett will be trying to un-seat the JLP'S Caleb Lewinson.
The Frankfield division has been in the hands of the JLP for over 30 years.
The endorsement of Mr. Hackett now means that the PNP has in place all its candidates for the election.
The others are school teacher Elvis Marshall in the Ritches division, Kevin Shirley in the Thompson Town division and schoolteacher Jean White in the Spaldings division.
