By Roy Sanford, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU:
A CONTROVERSY is brewing in the Jamaica Labour Party's (JLP) North Trelawny constituency following the resignation of Ian Hayles as candidate-caretaker for the constituency last week.
Dr. Horace Chang, JLP's deputy leader for Area Four, said that Mr. Hayles resigned because of personal reasons but Fritz Campbell, an executive of the constituency, said there is more to Mr. Hayles' resignation than just personal reasons.
"We know that Mr. Hayles has some serious family problems but he was forced to resign for selfish reasons," Mr. Campbell told The Gleaner on Tuesday. According to Mr. Campbell there are indications that Senator Norman Horne, newly-elected caretaker for South East St. Elizabeth, intends to challenge Dr. Chang for the leadership of the JLP in Area Council Four and Mr. Hayles has shown signs of support for Mr. Horne.
POPULAR CHOICE
Mr. Campbell said the selection for a caretaker of the constituency was supposed to take place in March but the process was put off until after the JLP's conference in November. He said that Mr. Hayles should have stayed as the candidate caretaker for the constituency since he is the popular choice. "Since he announced his candidacy for caretaker he has been receiving calls from a lot of people who say they are supporting him," Mr. Campbell said. "Plus Mr. Hayles has been very active in the constituency and he has facilitated more people to join the JLP. So I cannot understand the reasons for the resignation."
But Dr. Chang said that the party's hierarchy has nothing to do with Mr. Hayles resignation. "Some delegates in the constituency are upset because they think that we have manoeuvred Mr. Hayles out of the seat but this is not true, he said. Meanwhile Mr. Campbell said supporters of Mr. Hayles intend to demonstrate today to show their discontent with the JLP's hierarchy concerning the matter.
