Yahneake Sterling, Staff Reporter
Maureen Webber, deputy general secretary of the People's National Party, shows a copy of the form delegates had to complete in order to appear on the delegates' list. - NORMAN GRINDLEY/DEPUTY CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
THE FINAL delegates' list for the People's National Party presidential election, slated for this Saturday, was up to yesterday not yet completed.
According to Maureen Webber, deputy general secretary, the secretariat is still addressing the almost 400 appeals regarding the discrepancies with the preliminary list.
"We want to be sure that all the changes based on the appeals are reflected in the final list," Ms. Webber said. She said the fact that the delegates' list was not computerised has added to the delay as the five persons who are working on rectifying the list have to do so manually.
Additionally, she said: "When we send the changes, the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) sends back the list and the new names are added and the old ones are still there, so you have the same name twice on the list. We need to go through the list again to ensure that the names are taken off."
DIFFICULT PROCESS
Ms. Webber said it was difficult for the EOJ, when it is entering the information, because of how the form is filled out.
"The form has delegates and sub-delegates and substitute delegates," she said. "Sometimes the EOJ counts this as two delegates, so we have to go through and make the changes. It takes a lot of time to go through over 3,000 names."
Ms. Webber, however, stressed that the delay would not set back the presidential vote this weekend.
The delegates' list, which should have been completed last Friday, is expected to be completed by 6:00 p.m. today. Just under 4,000 delegates are expected to elect the new party president from among the four candidates: Portia Simpson Miller, Dr. Peter Phillips, Dr. Omar Davies and Dr. Karl Blythe.
