Garwin Davis, Gleaner Writer

( L - R ) Vaz and Dabdoub

Former Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Parliamentarian Abe Dabdoub says he will be campaigning against Daryl Vaz in West Portland whether or not he (Dabdoub) is the People's National Party (PNP) candidate.

Speaking to The Gleaner last week, Mr. Dabdoub, now an Independent MP representing St. Catherine North-East, said Mr. Vaz, the JLP caretaker, is very vulnerable on the ground and can be beaten.

"Elections are not won by being on television all the time or by all those flashy statements Mr. Vaz has been making down there in West Portland," Mr. Dabdoub said. "I was there in the constituency the other day and from the evidence on the ground, the PNP can easily retain this seat," Dabdoub said.

When pressed on whether he will be the person to challenge his former colleague, Mr. Dabdoub replied: "That I am not sure, but what I will say is that I will be down there campaigning against Mr. Vaz whether or not I am the candidate."

Western Portland and South-East St. Ann are the two constituencies that are still without PNP candidates.

'Beating of his life'

Contacted, Mr. Vaz said he would welcome the chance to go up against Mr. Dabdoub, saying the former JLP MP would be in for "the beating of his life."

"It will take 25 Abe Dabdoubs to defeat me here and the PNP knows this," Mr. Vaz said. "He ran away from his constituency in St. Catherine because he knew the people were about to reject him and now he wants to come down here? Does he even know how to get to Portland?"

Mr. Dabdoub, a staunch loyalist of former JLP leader Edward Seaga, has made no secret of his admiration for Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller and has been with the PNP leader on a number of tours across the country. He resigned last year from the JLP.

Mr. Dabdoub said that while his decision to leave the JLP was not an easy one, he was at peace knowing he had done it on a point of principle.

He said he was told by his colleagues not to move forward with the issue of campaign financing in Parliament, especially at a time when the government was reeling from the Trafigura scandal.

"I was told not to go forward," he said. "The JLP, you see, is not ready to tackle the issue of campaign financing as that by itself would open up a can of worms. I resigned from the party before they could expel me."

He continued: "Mr. Seaga felt strongly about it and wanted to bring up the issue for debate. They forced him out before he got the chance so it was something I felt I had to do. Campaign financing is an important piece of legislation which the country needs at this time."

Efforts to get a comment from the JLP hierarchy were unsuccessful