Dionne Rose, Staff Reporter

Prime Minister and People's National Party President Portia Simpson Miller (centre) shows off her party's candidates for the next general election, including (from left) Dr. Neil McGill, Dr. Omar Davies, Phyllis Mitchell, Maxine Henry-Wilson, Dr. Peter Phillips, Andrea Moore and Sharon Hay-Webster, at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston, yesterday. - Norman Grindley/Deputy Chief Photographer

Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller yesterday presented a blend of old and new faces to contest the next general election for the governing People's National Party (PNP).

The 58 candidates announced include 20 first-timers and two veterans returning to representational politics, D.K. Duncan and Francis Tulloch.

The candidates were presented during a well-attended PNP National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston.

Stating emphatically that she was leading a winning team, Mrs. Simpson Miller said the party's slate is made up of candidates who represent "brilliance, wisdom, experience and energy."

The party president did not, however, announce the replacement candidates for two seats - Western Portland, which was to be contested by Doreen Forbes and South East St. Ann which, until recently, was expected to be contested by the incumbent Member of Parliament, Aloun Assamba. Both women have decided not to contest the election.

Campaign director, Dr. Paul Robertson, during a press conference yesterday afternoon, told journalists that the two candidates would be announced mid-December, after a series of consultations.

Dr. Robertson said the party was satisfied with the slate of candidates that were named.

"We think that the 58 that we have settled on at this point are performing people," he said.

Party Chairman Robert Pickersgill told members of the media that the party leader gave an upbeat speech to the NEC, which journalists were initially told they could cover but were at the last minute prevented from so doing by security personnel.

"The party leader's presentation was an excellent one that was punctuated by several rounds of applause," Mr. Pickersgill said.

Dr. Duncan will be contesting the Eastern Hanover seat against the Jamaica Labour Party's (JLP) incumbent MP Barrington Gray and Mr. Tulloch, a former Tourism Minister, will contest West Central St. James, against incumbent Clive Mullings. Also returning to the political arena is Phyllis Mitchell, who will contest St. Catherine North East against the JLP's Gregory Mair. Mair replaces current MP Abe Dabdoub, who has resigned from the JLP.

The NEC unanimously accepted Roger Clarke as the candidate for Central Westmoreland. Mr. Clarke is the sitting MP for North East St. Elizabeth. He had earlier announced his retirement, but recently got the nod over Paul Buchanan who was previously selected by delegates of the Westmoreland constituency to replace the retiring incumbent Dr. Karl Blythe.

In another controversial constituency, former JLP Senator Norman Horne was named the candidate for South East St. Elizabeth to replace sitting MP Lenworth Blake.

Meanwhile, several of the newcomers will attempt to fill seats being vacated by retiring Members of Parliament. Among them are Natalie Headley, who will seek to replace K.D. Knight in East Central St. Catherine and, in South West St. Elizabeth, Reverend Stanley Redwood will seek to replace Donald Buchanan.

Vando Palmer will attempt to win the Central Manchester seat being vacated by John Junor and, in South East St. Catherine, Colin Fagan will try to win the seat currently being held by Dr. Robertson.

Meanwhile, in Western St. Andrew, Dawn Hylton has been named as the replacement for retiring MP O.T. Williams.