Garwin Davis, Assistant News Editor
SIMPSON MILLER, PHILLIPS, DOUGLAS AND MCNEILL
IN THE final furlongs of the race to succeed P.J. Patterson as People's National Party (PNP) president, three of the leadership contenders will again be facing off at the party's annual conference next month.
According to PNP officials, as was the case last year when party activist Paul Burke made a surprise last-minute entry which forced a run-off in the vice-presidential race, "a number of persons on Friday, August 19, have written the party to indicate their intention to vie for one of the party's four vice-president posts at conference".
NEW HATS IN THE RING
The Sunday Gleaner understands that in addition to the four existing vice- presidents, Dr. Karl Blythe, Dr. Peter Phillips, Mrs. Portia Simpson Miller and Dr. Paul Robertson, four other persons, including Minister of State in the Ministry of Tourism, Dr. Wykeham McNeill, and Minister of State in the Ministry of Water and Housing, Harry Douglas have also thrown their hats in the ring.
"Yes I am in," declared Dr. McNeill yesterday. "Like everybody else, I have done my research on the ground and believe I have a good chance of becoming a vice-president".
Asked whether this was not really a smoke screen for a deeper underlying reason, Dr. McNeill gave a resounding no. "I personally wouldn't want my intentions to be misread", he said. "I have the utmost of respect for the existing vice-presidents and I am not a part of any strategy to upset anybody. From time to time we all offer ourselves in whatever capacity we see fit and as long as it is not done in a contentious way then there is nothing for anybody to get excited about".
Dr. Blythe believes the race was meaningless and should not be seen as an indicator as to who will eventually succeed Mr. Patterson. "The party made it clear so as to avoid what took place at the last conference, that anybody who intends to run for vice president should submit their names by August 19 which is today (Friday)", Dr. Blythe said. "I wouldn't be surprised however, if the party should now step in and stop this rubbish", he said.
PNP insiders are insisting that the true reason behind the surprised nominations is to ensure that there is a "show of strength" vote at the party's conference where the winner will be perceived as the person most likely to succeed Mr. Patterson as party president and possibly as Prime Minister. They note that unlike last year where a lot of vote-trading took place, "it will be every man for himself".
"This is a fiasco and I am hoping the Prime Minister will step in and put a stop to it", said Carol Jackson, the former caretaker for North East, St. Ann. "What should happen is for the four vice presidents to be returned en bloc so the party can focus on other issues. We just had a raise in February. This is really a jostle for the top spot to put in the minds of people that the winner is truly the front runner to succeed Mr. Patterson when he steps down. This is not being done with the party's interest at heart".
In the last vice presidential race at the Mico Teacher's College in February, Dr. Blythe finished on top and ahead of Mrs. Simpson Miller, Dr. Phillips and Dr. Robertson in that order. The Phillips camp however contended at the time that their man would have won had it not been for "the trading up and down of delegates that occurred".
Harry Douglas, while declaring himself an unapologetic supporter of Dr. Phillips, said "this is democracy at work and I am offering myself as I have a right to". "I am offering myself on this 59th minute because I don't want to see a repeat of what happened last year", he said. "The integrity of the party must be protected and I am in this race to see that this trading up and down where we had a surprise winner last year doesn't repeat itself".
