Member of Parliament for West Portland Daryl Vaz (right) speaks to members of the media at the Jamaica Labour Party's Belmont Road, New Kingston, headquarters yesterday, while party General Secretary Karl Samuda (centre) and Member of Parliament for West St Thomas James Robertson look on. - Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer

THE GOVERNMENT says it will not rule out the possibility of early general election as a response to the potential crisis being fuelled by the removal of Daryl Vaz as member of parliament for West Portland and attempts to unseat other parliamentarians alleged to have dual citizenship.

At the same time, the Opposition People's National Party (PNP) has assured that it is in a high state of readiness in the event Jamaicans are called to the polls, less than a year after it was removed from office.

PNP Chairman Robert Pickersgill told The Gleaner that the party's machinery is well oiled.

"Simply put, we have adopted the motto of the Boy Scouts 'Be prepared'."

Whatever is necessary

Yesterday Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) General Secretary Karl Samuda said the PNP could leave Prime Minister Bruce Golding with no option but to call an early election.

"If you put us in a position where we don't have any margin to work with and we can't exercise our mandate in any effective way, then the Prime Minister will have no option but to call a general election," Samuda told The Gleaner following a media briefing at the JLP's Belmont Road, New Kingston headquarters yesterday.

"We have no difficulty in ensuring that the interest of this country is upheld and we are prepared, at any time, to do whatever is necessary to guarantee that."

He argued that the PNP has said it disagrees with the holding of early general election, but continues to pursue cases in court that could leave the prime minister with no other choice.

Samuda was referring to three cases now before the court concerning JLP members of parliament who are alleged to be ineligible because they have dual citizenship.

This came in the wake of the ruling handed down on Friday against Vaz. Shahine Robinson, Gregory Mair and Michael Stern are facing similar challenges and Samuda said the JLP is prepared to vigorously defend them "in and out of court."

According to Samuda, the JLP is also checking on a number of sitting PNP members of parliament who could be in similar positions.

'Freeness mentality'

He said the JLP accepted the ruling in the West Portland case and was prepared to have the by-election in that constituency before the end of May. However that timeline could be derailed by an appeal filed by the PNP's Abe Dabdoub.

"The PNP and Dabdoub are not interested in upholding the law; their real motive is to get a seat for nothing. They are exhibiting a freeness mentality," Samuda charged.

He said the JLP was ready to have the by-election now and was confident Vaz would win by an even larger margin than the more than 900 votes he won by in September last year.

Pickersgill, meanwhile, said the PNP has been on the road and will remain alert.

"We are prepared for any eventuality, we have a new general secretary and a new deputy, so we have fresh legs."