Daraine Luton, Staff Reporter

( L - R ) Phillips, Simpson Miller

With more and more parliamentarians declaring their choice for the People's National Party's top job, incumbent Portia Simpson Miller holds a slight advantage over challenger Dr Peter Phillips.

Simpson Miller and Phillips both have 11 supporters in the House of Representatives, but the party leader has greater support in the Senate.

Former Finance Minister Dr Omar Davies, one of three nominees Simpson Miller defeated for the presidency in 2006, has declared he is backing her this time around.

Simpson Miller polled 1,775 votes to Phillips' 1,538 votes two years ago. Davies was a distant third with 283 votes, while Dr Karl Blythe finished last with 204 votes.

Three parliamentarians

Then, Simpson Miller had the backing of only three members of parliament - Roger Clarke, Phillip Paulwell and Richard Azan - one senator - Anthony Hylton. Now she has tied up a large parliamentary block.

But veteran politician and TEAM PNP ambassador Donald Buchanan knows this does not guarantee victory.

Buchanan, who supported Davies' failed leadership bid, acknowledged that "the delegates are the important persons" but noted that "it is very useful to have the support of your parliamentary colleagues".

Danny Roberts, a member of the Phillips' 'Arise and Renew' campaign, agreed that support of the parliamentary group did not necessarily translate to delegate votes.

No influence

"The parliamentary group, as was the case in the last election, will have no influence over the delegates," Roberts said.

He added that "an overwhelming majority of the delegates with whom we have met have a silent determination to put Peter Phillips forward".

Roberts said Phillips was a superior leader to Simpson Miller, whom he blamed for the PNP's defeat in the September 2007 general election.

"I have no doubt that it was the Portia factor that contributed to the party's standing in July 2007 when we enjoyed a six per cent lead. But it was also the Portia factor, subsequent to that, that cost us the election," Roberts said.

However, Buchanan, the party's former general secretary, said of the 14 parishes, Simpson Miller enjoys the support of the great majority of delegates in 10. He said the party president was trailing Phillips in two parishes and is locked in a tussle in two others.

Buchanan said that, were it not for Simpson Miller, the PNP would not have performed that well in the election and added that the party might have been victorious had members of Phillips' team been more supportive.

The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) won 34 seats to the PNP's 28 in the 60-seat Parliament in the general election. The PNP lost the popular vote by less than 3,000 votes.

daraine.luton@gleanerjm.com

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