Daraine Luton, Sunday Gleaner Reporter

Portia and Peter get close at the first Cabinet meeting after the February 2006 presidential campaign. - File

PORTIA SIMPSON Miller is not only wooing the delegates of the People's National Party (PNP) to keep her as party president, but is also preparing for a general election, her campaign says.

Easton Douglas, chairman of Simpson Miller's campaign, told The Sunday Gleaner there is more to Team Portia than beating off the challenge of Dr Peter Phillips.

"The campaign is really focusing on preparing for a general election, not just indulging in the defence of her presidency," said Douglas, who headed Simpson Miller's campaign for president of the PNP in 2006, when she gained 47 per cent of delegates' votes to beat Phillips.

Battle in regions

Two other contenders - Dr Omar Davies and Dr Karl Blythe - finished far behind. The vacancy for PNP president arose in 2006 upon the announced retirement of P. J. Patterson.

Phillips, the party's senior vice-president, last week announced his intention to challenge Simpson Miller for the leadership of the PNP. The presidential election is likely to take place at the party's annual conference in September.

Party insiders have said that Phillips is likely to sweep Region Two. Simpson Miller, however, is expected to perform strongly in regions Three and Four, while a straight fight is expected in regions One, Five and Six, with Simpson Miller having the edge in two of these regions.

Fitz Jackson, a key Phillips organiser, told The Sunday Gleaner things are looking good for the senior vice-president.

"We have been encouraged by the enthusiasm of the Comrades," Jackson said. He asserted that many persons who supported Simpson Miller in the 2006 presidential election have changed course and are now backing Phillips.

Jackson, however, said that the campaign "is not one about running against the comrade leader. We are running a campaign for Peter Phillips".

He rejects the argument that the challenge comes at a bad time because the governing Jamaica Labour Party could capitalise on it by calling a general election and strengthening its numbers.

Not bad timing

"We don't have any control over the election or election timetable, but we have control over the party's electoral business," Jackson argued. "We accept that there is a new government in place for a five-year term. That's what the law says. But anything can happen within those five years."

Prime Minister Bruce Golding might be forced to call a general election this year should the PNP's Abe Dabdoub win his election petition appeal against Daryl Vaz.

Dabdoub lost the west Portland seat on election night, but has succeeded in having the courts disqualify Vaz on grounds that he pledged allegiance to a foreign power and is, therefore, not eligible to sit in Parliament. Vaz and Dabdoub have both appealed the ruling.

Should Vaz lose, the Government's already thin four-seat majority in the House of Representatives would diminish. In addition, the anticipated ruling by the Court of Appeal could negatively affect the status of two other Government legislators.

PNP regions

Region 1:	St Ann, Trelawny
Region 2:	St Thomas, Portland, St Mary
Region 3:	Kingston and St Andrew
Region 4:	Clarendon, St Catherine
Region 5:	Manchester, St Elizabeth

Region 6:	Westmoreland, St James,
	Hanover

daraine.luton@gleanerjm.com.