Junor - File

Following a review of the Central Manchester constituency, the executive of the People's National Party (PNP) is by next week to indicate who will run on the party's ticket in the upcoming general elections.

The PNP's John Junor, who is the Member of Parliament for the constituency, will retire from representational politics at the end of his current term.

PNPGeneral Secretary Donald Buchanan reported recently that the party was reviewing the seat for which Vando Palmer was last year selected as the caretaker/candidate.

Mr. Buchanan told The Gleaner recently that, come next week, the party will sign off on its candidate for the seat.

The review followed media reports of Mr. Palmer's alleged abuse of his spouse.

Gleaner sources indicate that the party is taking a second look at Mr. Palmer's chances of retaining the seat for the PNP.

The Jamaica Labour Party's (JLP) candidate for the Central Manchester seat is firebrand deputy mayor of Manchester, Sally Porteous.

Due by October

The next general elections are constitutionally due by October this year and both political parties have been working feverishly on the ground to whip up support for their respective candidates.

Party president and Prime Minister, Portia Simpson Miller, has said repeatedly that the Opposition JLP would not influence her decision on the date she intends to send Jamaicans to the polls to secure her own mandate.

However, the political temperature is heating up and, with the 2007/2008 Budget Debate scheduled to end in late April, some pundits believe that the race to form the next administration will reach fever pitch in May.