Petrina Francis and Nagra Plunkett, Staff Reporters
THE NATIONAL Executive Council (NEC) of the People's National Party (PNP), has ordered a 30-day healing and reconciliation programme in constituencies, following the selection of candidates for national and municipal elections, general secretary of the PNP, Colin Campbell announced yesterday.
Mr. Campbell told The Gleaner following yesterday's meeting of the NEC that the members examined the status report of the selection of candidates, among other things. He noted that a six-point programme was set out to be accomplished by the next NEC meeting scheduled for July 22. The programme includes:
healing and reconciliation of issues in the constituencies,
a full canvass of the new voters list,
naming of constituency campaign teams, including a campaign manager,
naming a fund-raising team,
naming a fund-raising chairman
every candidate is to submit an integrity report.
Meanwhile, 40-year-old Henry McCurdy was given the nod by PNP delegates as the candidate to represent the North West St. James constituency at a selection conference on Saturday.
Mr. McCurdy received 232 votes to Dr. Lennox Reid's 163 at the end of the process, which took place at Cornwall College in Montego Bay.
He will go up against Jamaica Labour Party's (JLP) Member of Parliament Dr. Horace Chang, when the next general election is called.
Also on Saturday, 36-year-old car dealer Gordon Baldie was selected as the PNP caretaker for West Central St. James. Three other contenders, councillor Gerard Mitchell, Dave Allen and Patrick Rosegreen withdrew from the race on the day of voting.
Mr. Baldie will be challenging attorney-at-law Clive Mullings for the seat.
Incumbent MP for South St. James, Derrick Kellier was returned unopposed while councillor for the Springmount Division, Donald Colomathi will face off with the JLP's Edmund Bartlett. Colomathi edged out Jacqueline McBean-Blake 230 to 201 votes in East Central St. James. The third contender, Hughlin Boyd, polled 145 of the delegates' votes.
