JLP General Secretary Dr. Horace Chang says the party will select a candidate for the St. Andrew North Central constituency this week.
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JLP General Secretary Dr. Horace Chang, speaking with 'Beyond the Headlines' host Dionne Jackson Miller on Tuesday
The Jamaica Labour Party's Central Executive will this week settle on the successor to Member of Parliament for St. Andrew North Central Karl Samuda amid escalating tensions in the constituency.
JLP General Secretary Dr. Horace Chang made the disclosure while addressing the issue on Radio Jamaica's Beyond the Headlines on Tuesday.
Dr. Chang said the decision by one of the aspirants, Senator Delano Seiveright, to suspend his campaign, was the right one, as this should put an end to the cross talk of how the selection process ought to be handled.
Attorney Christian Tavares-Finson, the son of Senate President Tom Tavares-Finson, is the other contender for the seat.
Delegates of the constituency reportedly confronted Dr. Chang on Monday night over the impasse in the selection process, and there has been debate on social media.
Dr. Chang said the party is seeking to avoid a run-off in the constituency, while dismissing claims from Mr. Seiveright's supporters that the JLP hierarchy is plotting to sideline him in favour of Mr. Tavares-Finson.
Responding to questions from Beyond the Headlines host Dionne Jackson Miller, Dr. Chang said the party would select the candidate for the constituency this week and would do so by "internal party mechanisms".
"The officers have the ultimate choice. But we look at the factors that we seek for recommendation, and when we examine all those factors, we will make the ultimate recommendation to the Central Executive," he said, adding that a runoff in the constituency is "not necessarily the best thing at this time in the campaign".
Likely scathed from last month's contentious run-off in Westmoreland Western, Dr. Chang said the JLP will be moving to choose the prospective candidates in the remaining vacant seats.
"We didn't think it necessary right now to look at run-offs in the any of the seats coming up. We have other mechanisms to determine the mood of the seat. First of all, we have to look for someone we think will bring some value to the seat," he suggested.
Supporters of Western Westmoreland Member of Parliament, Morland Wilson, staged a demonstration after the party upheld the win of Councillor for the Sheffield Division, Dr. Garfield James, in the recent run-off.
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