Dr. Karl Blythe - Observer file photo
Dr. Karl Blythe has withdrawn from the selection process to determine who will represent the governing People's National Party (PNP) in the upcoming by-election in the constituency of Central Westmoreland.
Dr. Blythe, a former MP for the constituency, had initiated and then withdrawn a court action aimed at forcing the Party to hold the selection exercise, contending that his right and the right of other possible candidates had been breached. That followed news that the Party had determined that attorney at law Michael Erskine would be the candidate.
Under pressure from Dr. Blythe, the PNP later reversed that decision and scheduled a selection contest, in which delegates from the constituency wIll be able to determine who will be the party's candidate. Dr. Blythe, Mr. Erskine, and businessman Dwayne Vaz handed in their nomination papers at the PNP's Old Hope Road headquarters in Kingston on Monday.
But in an about-face on Tuesday, Dr. Blythe wrote to Paul Burke, General-Secretary of the PNP, informing him that he had decided to withdraw from the contest, saying this decision was made after "serious and painful reflection on all the unfortunate events leading up to the reversal of the decision by the Executive to ensorse a specific candidate to represent us in Central Westmoreland.
In doing so, he congratulated Burke "on the stand you took, in respect of guaranteeing the constitutional right of every People’s National Party member in Central Westmoreland to be able to exercise that right to select who should represent the party in the upcoming by-election." He added, in praise of Burke: "My faith in you as a stickler for defending the party’s constitution has indeed been restored."
Dr. Blythe, a former vice-president of the PNP, was first elected to Parliament, representing Central Westmoreland, in February 1989. He remained undefeated in the next three general elections, before bowing out of representational politics in 2007. That followed his failed bid to become President of the PNP, when the Party voted for a successor to P.J Patterson in 2006.
Despite withdrawing from the upcoming contest, he has signaled his intention to remain engaged with the PNP, saying that "over the next 48 hours I will hold discussions with the delegates and wider constituents to have an indication as to which of the other two (2) candidates they believe is better suited to take up the baton, and then give my support to that comrade."
In doing so, he congratulated Burke "on the stand you took, in respect of guaranteeing the constitutional right of every People’s National Party member in Central Westmoreland to be able to exercise that right to select who should represent the party in the upcoming by-election." He added, in praise of Burke: "My faith in you as a stickler for defending the party’s constitution has indeed been restored."
Dr. Blythe, a former vice-president of the PNP, was first elected to Parliament, representing Central Westmoreland, in February 1989. He remained undefeated in the next three general elections, before bowing out of representational politics in 2007. That followed his failed bid to become President of the PNP, when the Party voted for a successor to P.J Patterson in 2006.
Despite withdrawing from the upcoming contest, he has signaled his intention to remain engaged with the PNP, saying that "over the next 48 hours I will hold discussions with the delegates and wider constituents to have an indication as to which of the other two (2) candidates they believe is better suited to take up the baton, and then give my support to that comrade."
The Central Westmoreland seat became vacant last month, when Roger Clarke, the incumbent MP, died of a heart attack in Florida.
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