By Omar Anderson, Gleaner WriterSEVERAL JAMAICA Labour Party (JLP) Members of Parliament (MPs) yesterday refused to cast an affirmation vote for Party Leader Edward Seaga, but instead demanded an exit timetable from the 74-year-old politician at a hastily-called meeting of the JLP Parliamen-tary Group yesterday.
This was in contrast to several months ago when, under increasing pressure to step down, Mr. Seaga was unanimously supported by his parliamentary colleagues.
"A lot of MPs refused to vote because of P.J. Patterson's pronouncement that he will not seek office in the next general election," said an informed source. "They feel the party is in an unfavourable position because the leader will not give his own timetable."
Mr. Patterson, the Prime Minis-ter and President of the People's National Party, has indicated that he will not lead his party into the next general election constitutionally due by 2007.
INFORMAL MEETING
Yesterday's meeting, which was called by deputy leader Derrick Smith, who is also chairman of the JLP's Parlia-mentary Group, appeared to have been a direct response to events following the cancellation of the party's central executive meeting which was scheduled to be held at Chatwick Gardens Hotel in Montego Bay, St. James on Sunday.
On Friday, Mr. Seaga issued a press release cancelling the meeting; but this did not stop members of the party's reformist wing from proceeding to the 'Second City' where they had an 'informal meeting'.
Yesterday, Mr. Smith refused to disclose discussions at the meeting.
"I've never disclosed contents of a parliamentary committee meeting with the press. I have no comment to make," he told The Gleaner, just after the meeting ended at 5:10 p.m. at the JLP's Belmont Road headquarters in Kingston.
The meeting of JLP Parliamentarians preceded a scheduled meeting last night of the party's Standing Committee where the so-called reformists were planning to move a resolution against Mr. Seaga because of Sunday's cancellation of the central executive meeting.
