THE PEOPLE'S National Party's (PNP) monitoring committee has rapped K.D. Knight, a supporter of Dr. Peter Phillips' 'Solid as a Rock' presidential campaign, for derogatory comments made against rival candidate Portia Simpson Miller.
Burchell Whiteman, PNP general secretary, said yesterday that the monitoring committee met with Mr. Knight, the Member of Parliament for east central St. Catherine, and expressed dissatisfaction with the comments made about Mrs. Simpson Miller during a meeting in Manchester on the weekend.
According to Mr. Whiteman, such remarks were not in the spirit of the agreement made by the nominators and campaign team leaders.
MAINTAIN PARTY UNITY
"It is acknowledged that in the conduct of robust campaigns, issues of substance are expected to be raised and dealt with," Mr. Whiteman said. "All efforts should be made to avoid approaches which, whether by innuendoes or by speculative comments, would incite feelings and harden positions that would impact negatively on the unity of the party hereafter."
PNP president P.J. Patterson requested last month that candidates for the PNP presidential post sign a code of behaviour for the campaign. Mr. Patterson, who is also the Prime Minister, called for the candidates and their supporters to behave in a manner that would protect the unity of the party after the February 25 election of his successor.
However, according to reports, Mr. Knight implied on the weekend that Mrs. Simpson Miller was incapable of reacting quickly to questions posed to her verbally.
