Rayon Dyer, Gleaner WriterBLACK RIVER: PEOPLE'S NATIONAL Party (PNP) Councillor for the Balaclava division, Rodney Barnes, is calling on the party's secretariat to speedily settle the position of caretaker in the constituency of Northeast St. Elizabeth.
Speaking in an interview with The Gleaner on February 4, Mr. Barnes said, "It would give the new caretaker for the area some time to be on top of most of the issues in the constituency ahead of the next general election".
The constituency which is being represented by Agriculture Minister Roger Clarke, saw the delegates recently selecting Senator Kern Spencer as the new chairman of the constituency executive. They have also indicated that they are interested in having Mr. Spencer succeed the outgoing MP for the area.
"It is full time now for us to have a new caretaker in place, (given) the fact that Member of Parliament Roger Clarke will not be seeking re-election," said Councillor Barnes. "I believe the party's secretariat should move with urgency to address this matter."
SUITABLE ALTERNATIVE SOON
He added that at present the constituency was in its best shape ever, in terms of its readiness with party group structures among other things.
When contacted for a comment by The Gleaner, Senator Spencer said he was happy with the amount of political work that he has been able to do over the last year in North East St. Elizabeth. He said that the efforts have changed the constituency which now met all the party's political requirements.
North East St. Elizabeth is one of the constituencies in the parish that the PNP could always bank on under the leadership of Clarke in the last three general elections, but this could change if a suitable alternative is not found soon, Mr. Barnes said.
