By Robert Hart & Claude Mills, Staff Reporters
Seaga: I do not propose to lead the JLP in any further election.
EMBATTLED LEADER of the Opposition Edward Seaga yesterday signalled his intention to release a 30-year grip on the leadership of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) at the annual conference near year-end.
Mr. Seaga's resignation has come in the wake of months of public bickering within the JLP as well as unyielding calls for him to step down and make way for fresh leadership to take the party out of 15 years of political opposition.
"I have today notified the chairman of the Jamaica Labour Party, Senator Bruce Golding, that I do not propose to lead the JLP in any further elections and as a consequence, my intention to retire from the leadership of the JLP in November 2004," Mr. Seaga said in statement issued late yesterday afternoon.
"This timing would allow a new leader to consolidate the JLP in 2005 for the Local Government elections of 2006," he added.
Last night, JLP chairman Bruce Golding reacted cautiously to news of Mr. Seaga's pending departure from the helm of the 60-year-old party. "I have not yet seen the letter Mr. Seaga said he sent me. So until then I can't comment," he told The Gleaner.
SURPRISED
The Opposition Leader's move reportedly surprised several Opposition parliamentarians who received the news during yesterday's sitting of the House of Representatives.
"He is a master of timing and he displayed that in the way he handled his move," Deputy Leader James Robertson said in the Gordon House lobby last night. "He knows what's best for the party and he knows why he has made this decision tonight," added Mr. Robertson, who Seaga loyalists regard as a leader of the reformist faction that sought to dislodge the wily leader.
Mr. Seaga did not indicate in his statement whether he was also relinquishing his positions as Member of Parliament and Opposition Leader. But yesterday Karl Samuda, JLP General Secretary, confirmed that the outgoing party leader would also relinquish the position of Opposition Leader after the November conference, while remaining as MP for Western Kingston.
Mr. Seaga's announcement of his retirement timetable culminated about two weeks of public squabbling and speculation about the date of his departure.
But in his statement, Mr. Seaga said that he had planned to announce his decision to leave on June 27 at a meeting of the Central Executive in Montego Bay, St. James. However, that meeting was ultimately called off by Mr. Seaga himself who said he was distressed at the lack of proper attendance which would occur based on the system used to notify members.
According to the Opposition Leader, he "postponed that meeting to allow for better attendance among other things," and had planned to make the announcement to the Central Executive on July 18.
"However, it appears that
information on my intended announcement is beginning to become public. I choose therefore to make this public announcement at this time in order to ensure that it is accurately
portrayed," Mr. Seaga said.
