By Omar Anderson, Gleaner WriterJAMAICA LABOUR Party (JLP) general-secretary Karl Samuda said on Tuesday that the party's Constitutional Committee has been asked to interpret the party's constitution regarding the chairmanship of its Selection Committee.
JLP Leader Edward Seaga and Chairman Bruce Golding are at odds over who should head the committee, a duty which traditionally was undertaken by the party chairman.
"We have a Constitutional Committee and it is being looked at," Mr. Samuda said yesterday. He was unable to say exactly when the Committee would finish examining the matter, stating only that "it will be very soon."
Last week, Mr. Seaga said the party's constitution provides that the Selection Committee be comprised
of a group of senior officers, with
the most senior of them becoming chairman.
In this case, Mr. Seaga, who has so far chaired two Selection Committee meetings, said he is the most senior party officer but had delegated persons to act in the position for several years.
Additionally, Mr. Seaga told The Gleaner he desires the position at this time because the selection process over the past couple of years was not done fairly, and he wanted to "level the playing field."
Mr. Golding maintains that the constititution provides that the chairman of the Selection Committee be nominated by officers within the party, then ratified by the Central Executive.
