Howard Campbell, Gleaner Writer
Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister K.D. Knight. - NORMAN GRINDLEY/DEPUTY CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
K.D. KNIGHT earned a reputation as a successful criminal lawyer by arguing his cases vigourously, an aggression he took into the political arena during the 1980s. Very little has changed about the man.
Mr. Knight, who is Jamaica's Foreign Affairs Minister, has been anything but diplomatic in recent times as he helps drum up support for Dr. Peter Phillips, one of four candidates in the campaign for People's National Party (PNP) presidential race.
While on the campaign beat, he has consistently questioned the competence of Portia Simpson Miller, the Local Government, Community Development and Sport Minister who is considered Dr. Phillips' main rival to succeed P.J. Patterson.
VERBAL ASSAULT
On February 13, Mr. Knight continued his verbal assault against Mrs. Simpson Miller at a Phillips event in Manchester. It forced the monitoring committee of the PNP to step in and hand the feisty Knight a reprimand.
"His statements have been a concern largely because of the innuendoes. He hasn't named anyone but the innuendoes have been easily readable," PNP general secretary, Burchell Whiteman, said. "Certainly the public reaction indicated that people were not comfortable."
Mr. Whiteman, who has served in the Cabinet with Mr. Knight for over 12 years, says the Foreign Affairs Minister is never one to mince words.
"That's one of his great strengths, but he's one of the most affable persons you can find," Mr. Whiteman told The Gleaner.
He certainly is. Mr. Knight is a dapper dresser who occasionally sports a Fedora and smokes a cigar.
Interestingly, Mr. Knight was at the helm of his law partner Bobby Pickersgill's team when Phillips unsuccessfully challenged him for the post of PNP chairman in 1997. At the time, Mr. Knight was Minister of National Security, a post he held for 12 years until late 2001 when he was replaced by Phillips.
His public differences with Mrs. Simpson Miller goes back to an ugly incident in Parliament in April 2004 when he allegedly told her an expletive within earshot of fellow parliamentarians.
The previous week, Mrs. Simpson Miller had refused to vote against a motion by Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) members to increase allocations to improve the fire service. Her stance angered several of her Cabinet colleagues.
CABINET COLLEAGUES
A native of south east St. Elizabeth and a graduate of Wolmer's Boys School, Mr. Knight has had other public spats. During his campaign for the October 2002 General Election, he almost came to blows with Dr. Raymoth Notice, his opponent in the East Central St. Catherine constituency.
In late 2004, he was taken to task by neighbours in St. Elizabeth who claimed they were in danger each time Mr. Knight and his hunting party went bird shooting.
Paul Burke, deputy campaign manager for Mrs. Simpson Miller, says the results of Saturday's poll may show what impact Mr. Knight's barbs have had.
"Some people feel it has created support for her and contempt for the particular individual (Mr. Knight)," said Mr. Burke. "I have no way of gauging these things, we'll have to wait and see."
