Lisa Hanna - file

Garwin Davis, Gleaner Writer

The People's National Party (PNP) is set to announce former Miss World, Lisa Hanna, as its candidate to replace Aloun Assamba in South East St. Ann, Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller revealed on Monday.

In what was described as "a very stormy meeting" at the PNP's Old Hope Road, St. Andrew, headquarters, on Monday night, Mrs. Simpson Miller told the four declared contenders who had been vying to replace Mrs. Assamba that the party had decided not to endorse any of their candidacies and would be going with Ms. Hanna.

The audience, which also included members of the South East St. Ann executive, was, however, far from amused, telling the Prime Minister that the people in the constituency would in no way support such a decision.

Former South East St. Ann Member of Parliament and elder PNP statesman Ambassador Seymour Mullings, in calling the announcement "a dark day in the history of South East St. Ann", said it was a mistake to impose a candidate on the people in the constituency without taking their views into consideration.

Could hardly contain anger

The Prime Minister herself could hardly contain her anger, at one point telling the far from docile gathering: "If the party should lose South East St. Ann and the election as a result, the wrath of the country will come down on South East St. Ann."

Contacted yesterday, Mr. Mullings said he was stunned at what had transpired, adding that, "I just couldn't believe what I was hearing at that meeting".

"I was the Member of Parliament there for 32 years and it was no secret that I supported the candidacy of Sheree Brown-McDonald," he said. "In every poll and sounding the party has done in the constituency she comes out way ahead of the other contenders. It is always wise to respect the wishes of the people and I am afraid that the way this was done might not go over well with the people of South East St. Ann."

Visits to sections of the constituency by The Gleaner yesterday brought fully into focus the concerns raised by Mr. Mullings.

"Our Prime Minister seems to trust JLP people more than she trusts her own comrades," commented Jean Gayle, Claremont resident. "She has Norman Horne running in St. Elizabeth, Abe Dabdoub in West Portland, Ian Hayles somewhere down the country and now this Lisa Hanna girl."

Clover Gordon, a Bensonton resident, was equally dismissive of the Hanna announcement. "I doubt if Lisa Hanna knows where to find South East St. Ann," she said. "We will never accept her down here and if we are forced to choose between two Labourites, we will give Mr. Fakhourie, a hometown boy, our votes." Peter Fakhourie is the JLP candidate for South East St. Ann.

Ms. Hanna was the third Jamaican to win the Miss World title. She won the title in 1993 in Sun City, South Africa, at 18 years old. She was formerly married to businessman and ex-JLP Senator David Panton.