Blake

Daraine Luton and Dalton Laing, Sunday Gleaner Reporters

POLLSTER Bill Johnson has rebutted criticisms levelled at him by the Lenworth Blake camp, which has questioned the integrity of his polls conducted in the South East St. Elizabeth constituency for the People's National Party (PNP).

Mr. Blake has seemingly been replaced by Norman Horne as the PNP's candidate in the next general election, which is constitutionally due next year October.

"We have evidence that gives us absolutely no trust or confidence in two previous polls, and in the last of the three, Mr. Blake showed better against the JLP candidate than his successor," Paul Lee, campaign manager for Mr. Blake said in a press release yesterday.

However, pollster Bill Johnson has told The Sunday Gleaner that he is tired of Mr. Blake and his camp attacking his credibility. "If Len Blake had spent as much time listening to the people of his constituency as he spends criticising the polls, he would not be in the predicament that he is in today," the pollster told The Sunday Gleaner.

Concerns

Over the past week, supporters of Blake, who is the incumbent Member of Parliament, actively voiced concerns about the decision to replace him with the turncoat Horne. Blake's supporters have claimed that Johnson and his team of researchers have been biased toward Horne, a PNP who left the party for the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party in the 2002 General Election and has recently returned.

Johnson said three separate polls were conducted in 24 communities in the constituency and the results indicate that Mr. Blake has lost favour with his constituents.

Meeting disrupted

In another contentious candidacy, about a dozen placard-waving supporters, allegedly from the Paul Buchanan camp, stormed the inaugural constituency meeting of Roger Clarke as the PNP's candidate for Central Westmoreland yesterday. The party at the last minute dropped Paul Buchanan who had previously won the selection contest.

But after almost an hour of disruption, the meeting was resumed with all agreeing that the Agriculture Minister was the man to lead Central Westmoreland into the next general election against the Jamaica Labour Party's Russell Hammond. The protestors said they were disrespected - after being asked to make a selection two months ago from among five contenders - and were now being given someone who was not among the five.

After a brief conversation with one of the key players in the Buchanan camp, the meeting resumed with the understanding that Minister Clarke would be accepted and would be supported.

Minister Clarke, who last served as Member of Parliament for NE St. Elizabeth, and who has enjoyed 21 years of victory as Member of Parliament, says he was sent to save Central Westmoreland and subsequently, the PNP. "The People's National Party cannot form the next government without Central Westmoreland. This is the heart of PNP territory, and if we are to lose this constituency, it would be a dark day for the PNP," says Minister Clarke.