( L - R ) BLYTHE, DAVIES, PHILLIPS AND SIMPSON MILLER
MOST OF the candidates for the presidency of the governing People's National Party (PNP) will go into this weekend's election with arguably dismal résumés, reflecting their attendance during the life of the current Parliament.
Since the new Parliament was inaugurated on November 14, 2002, there have been 164 sittings of the House of Representatives.
Dr. Karl Blythe, Member of Parliament (MP) for Central Westmoreland, and the only backbencher in the group of presidential candidates, has missed 64 of these sittings, and was late for 50. Portia Simpson Miller, MP for South West St. Andrew, was absent for 47 sittings and arrived late for 82. Dr. Omar Davies, who represents the constituency of South St. Andrew, missed 33 sittings and was late for 41. Dr. Peter Phillips, representing East Central St. Andrew, was absent during 30 sittings of the House and missed the start on nine occasions.
Of the four candidates, Dr. Davies, Dr. Phillips and Mrs. Simpson Miller are also members of the Cabinet, holding important ministerial portfolios. In many instances their absences may therefore have been due to local or overseas travel on ministerial business. The attendance record, however, does not often reflect the reasons for which the ministers were absent.
Yesterday political analyst Professor Brian Meeks said the attendance record of the political contenders means little for their aspirations for the PNP presidency, especially for the ones with portfolio responsibilities.
DIRECT CORRELATION
Professor Meeks argued that there was a direct correlation between Cabinet responsibilities and attendance rate. According to him, ministers in the House are required to attend Cabinet meetings, parliamentary sittings as well as tend to their constituencies. He said that, as a result, they would often be late or miss some parliamentary sittings.
"It is an impossible job that puts parliamentarians under pressure," Professor Meeks said.
But, by way of comparison, Donald Buchanan, MP for South West St. Elizabeth and Minister of Water and Housing, has a significantly better attendance record than any of his three Cabinet colleagues aspiring to the PNP leadership and subsequently the job of Prime Minister.
Where ministerial business might provide a plausible explanation for the other three, they would not apply to the fourth candidate - Dr. Karl Blythe - who has not been a member of the Cabinet during the period under review.
Yesterday Derrick Smith, Leader of Opposition Business, said he was by no means surprised by the attendance record of the four contenders.
"It is well known that Dr. Blythe has always been atrociously late and the other two (Mrs. Simpson Miller and Dr. Davies) also have poor attendance rates," he said.
"Overall I don't think (the attendance rate) will affect them, but it is a clear evidence that the PNP delegates will accept mediocrity," he added.
