THE LEADERSHIP of the governing People's National Party (PNP) has appointed a special committee to examine the factors which accounted for its dismal performance in last Thursday's Local Government elections.
At its usual post-election press conference held at the party's Old Hope Road headquarters, yesterday, party chairman Robert Pickersgill said the
committee had been put in place to carry out a "comprehensive fact-finding examination" of the election results.
READINESS
As part of its mandate, the committee will assess the party's "readiness for new and current challenges and the internal structural and functional reforms needed."
Additionally, the team will be assessing and making a determination as to the number of divisions to be recommended for magisterial recounts.
Mr. Pickersgill said the party was also reviewing at least one division (Boscobel, St. Mary), "where information provided so far suggests that we may need to make an application to the Constituted Authority."
Mr. Pickersgill noted that the Local Government elections show that "voters have become more discerning and their voting patterns are much more complex."
He dismissed suggestions that recent utterings by Finance and Planning Minister Dr. Omar Davies, and a seemingly absent Local Government Minister Portia Simpson Miller had anything to do with the poor performance of the PNP in the polls. A low voter turnout among PNP supporters was one of the main factors, the party said.
