Arthur Hall, Senior Staff Reporter

( L - R ) Pryce, Douglas

The People's National Party has placed a gag order on its members, banning them from any further discussions with the media about the presidential contest.

The order was issued yesterday by the party's secretariat, hours after it announced that the executive committee had decided to delay the business and public sessions of its 70th annual conference.

Party Chairman Robert Pickersgill sought to justify the decision to muzzle the campaign teams.

"This is about delegates choosing a leader. That is an internal matter which does not necessarily have to be played out in the public," Pickersgill said.

Mixed reaction

While the decision to have the business and public sessions weeks after delegates vote to elect a president was not challenged, there has been mixed reaction to the gag order.

"This is a panic reaction. It is unconstitutional and should be overturned," declared Harry Douglas, a spokesman for challenger Dr Peter Phillips.

He said the leadership of the party should be blamed for the current problems as it had failed to act when persons were abusive in their comments.

However Raymond Pryce, a spokesman for party president Portia Simpson Miller, was not concerned as he announced his team would accept the ruling.

"Team PNP has the best interest of the party at heart and we will abide by any decision of the constitutional authority which has decided to instruct spokespersons not to make any comments," Pryce said.

Meanwhile, PNP Deputy General Secretary Julian Robinson told The Gleaner the decision to delay the sessions was a practical one.

"The reason is that a lot of the energy and the focus of the delegates will be on the election, so we would not do justice to the several critical issues which are to be discussed," Robinson said.

He said the change was agreed on by the executive and supported by the two camps facing off for the election.

Increasing tension

But sources close to the leadership of the PNP told The Gleaner that the delay was a clear indication of the increasing tension which has marred the lead-up to the election.

According to the sources, the executive decided to postpone the sessions to provide a cooling-off period after the election.

"The break is also designed to give the winner a chance to reach out to supporters of the losing camp after a campaign that has been littered with threats, allegations of vote buying and nasty personal attacks," the sources said.

Pickersgill, meanwhile, is not worried that the party may be badly fractured after the election.

"I have the greatest confidence in my party. It is a resilient party. I have the utmost faith in my party, the delegates, the members and our supporters islandwide," Pickersgill told The Gleaner yesterday.

With the new timetable the winner of the PNP's presidential race on September 20 will have to wait three weeks before addressing the party's annual conference.

The conference will continue on October 11 with the closed business session for delegates and end on October 12 with the public session and the first address to the party by the winner.

arthur.hall@gleanerjm.com