HANNAH

Garwin Davis, Gleaner Writer

In an effort to quell the growing resistance to the candidacy of former Miss World Lisa Hanna in South East St. Ann, Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller yesterday dispatched a high-level team of People's National Party (PNP) officials to meet with executives and residents of the constituency.

It was, however, far from being a cakewalk for the team of Paul Burke, Industry and Commerce Minister Phillip Paulwell, Labour Minister Derrick Kellier, and Burke's wife and Simpson Miller confidante Angella Brown-Burke, as many residents remain adamant that they would in no way support the candidacy of Ms. Hanna.

The meeting was disrupted on numerous occasions as PNP supporters from either side traded insults, with the overwhelming view being that Ms. Hanna would not be welcome as the candidate for the constituency.

Baptised PNP candidate

"We don't want any baptised PNP candidate," commented Dorette Hamilton, a veteran PNP South East St. Ann election-day worker. "I may never get another job with the party, but principle is principle. We could care less if she was a former Miss World, but we don't want her down here in South East St. Ann."

An angry Beryl James of Claremont, St. Ann, was equally as dismissive. "When they send Paul Burke and his wife, as well as Phillip Paulwell and Mr. Kellier down here, what is it that they expect to happen?" she asked. "Let's get this straight, we will be voting for the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) in the next election as no way will we be voting to elect Lisa Hanna. We will be in the square of Claremont tomorrow (today) to make our voices heard. We will not sit quiet and take this."

Mr. Burke was however confident that the worst is over and that persons would eventually warm to the choice of Ms. Hanna being the PNP candidate for the constituency. "Today was a very good day in that we had some very constructive dialogue," he said. "People were allowed to voice their opinions for or against and I feel very good about the way forward."

Asked whether in hindsight things could not have been handled better, Mr. Burke noted that there was always consultation with the constituency executive regarding the selection process. "I don't know how we could have handled it any better," he said. "Like everything else you will always have disagreements but we are confident that the people of South East St. Ann will respect the decision of the Prime Minister."

Regional Chairman Michael Campbell agreed. "Persons may have been surprised by the name Lisa Hanna but there was always consultation on the part of the party hierarchy," he said. "As the regional chairman, I am happy to have someone of the calibre of Miss Hanna as our candidate here in South East St. Ann," he said. "She brings a lot to the table and we welcome her with open arms."

Added Horace Hamilton, a member of the constituency executive: "I will not accept this outsider argument, considering that we are all Jamaicans. It shouldn't matter where in Jamaica you are from, nobody should be branded an outsider, that is plain wrong and maybe even a little stupid."

Others though remain firm in their stance that they would rather lose the seat than to be dictated to by "an out of touch political directorate."

"This is pure contempt for the people," said Ronald Brown, Bensonton, St. Ann resident. "The Prime Minister didn't even have the courtesy to come down here and meet the people but has resorted to sending her out of touch emissaries. We will be sending her a message on election night so loud that she will regret this decision as long as she live."