Veteran politician and Agriculture Minister, Roger Clarke, is considering abandoning his plans to retire soon from representational politics.

Mr. Clarke is seeking to get approval from the governing People's National Party (PNP) to contest the Central Westmoreland constituency, being vacated by Dr. Karl Blythe, in the next general election.

Clarke, the incumbent Member of Parliament for North East St. Elizabeth, confirmed yesterday that he was actively considering requests from PNP supporters in Central Westmoreland. However, mindful that only recently the party selected Paul Buchanan as a likely candidate, he said he was cautious about possibly dividing the PNP in the constituency.

"Any move that I make in this direction would have to be duly considered and properly discussed with the party leader and all who are involved on the ground," Mr. Clarke told The Gleaner/Power 106 news yesterday. "I don't want in the end to fracture the unity that is within the party."

Awaiting approval

Mr. Buchanan, the PNP selectee for Central Westmoreland, did not return telephone calls from The Gleaner yesterday. Following his victory in the selection contest from a crowded field last month, he has been awaiting the approval of PNP president Portia Simpson Miller.

Yesterday, deputy campaign director Paul Burke told The Gleaner that the national campaign committee was in the process of sending recommendations for the 60 candidates to the party president, who will advise the committee of her decision by the middle of next week.

"I honestly do not know if Roger is interested in returning to representational politics," Mr. Burke remarked.

Mr. Clarke, who was campaign director for the successful party presidential campaign, is the second active PNP politician who has shelved retirement plans since the ascension of Mrs. Simpson Miller to the helm of the party in February. Harry Douglas, MP for South East St. Mary, did an about-face following Mrs. Simpson Miller's victory in an acrimonious campaign for the presidency. Furthermore, formerly inactive politicians, including dental surgeon Dr. D.K. Duncan, have dusted off their political gloves and are back in the ring to do battle on behalf of the PNP.