Arthur Hall, Senior Staff Reporter

Harry Douglas (right) speaks with Joseph 'Bunny' Witter. Both men are among eight persons nominated for vice-president of the People's National Party. - Photos by Norman Grindley/Deputy Chief Photographer

THE BATTLE for the leadership of the People's National Party (PNP) started officially yesterday, with early warning signs that the fight will be for more than the top job.

With nominations scheduled to close at midday yesterday, there was no surprise as Portia Simpson Miller and Dr Peter Phillips were nominated to contest the presi-dential race.

But the drama unfolded as eight nominations were presented for the four vice-president posts.

Surprise submissions

With Dr Wykeham McNeill long expected to throw his hat into the ring, political watchers had projected that no more than five persons would be nominated for the four posts.

But that was not to be, as eight persons submitted nomination papers, despite the $75,000 fee.

That was a surprise to PNP Chairman Robert Pickersgill who provided no explanation for what he admitted was an unprecedented number of persons seeking the vice-president posts.

"I really can't recall so many being nominated for the posts and I don't know that it was expected, but it is the democratic right of all Comrades," Pickersgill said during a media briefing hours after nominations closed.

Breached agreement

But Phillips supporter, retired politician Harry Douglas, had earlier provided The Gleaner with his explanation for the high number of nominees.

He said the Phillips camp was responding to the breaching of an agreement by the Simpson Miller team.

"We had an agreement that there would be no nominations for vice-president from both sides but, about 18 minutes to 12, I was told that Comrade (Joseph) 'Bunny' Witter and Comrade Patrick Roberts were nominated, so you will see Comrade Hay-Webster and myself being nominated at this last minute," Douglas claimed.

He refused to back down, even when it was pointed out that Roberts had in fact not been nominated.

"We made the decision (to nominate candidates for the vice-president posts) because we were not about to let them shaft us or double-deal us," Douglas claimed.

But his allegation was met with a strong denial from the Simpson Miller camp, with former General Secretary Colin Campbell urging the secretariat to rein in Douglas for what he said were untrue and mischievous comments.

Brutal attack

Donald Buchanan, another former general secretary who is backing Simpson Miller, was more brutal as he dismissed claims that a deal had been struck to restrict the contest to the presidential race.

"I believe that Comrade Harry Douglas is now becoming senile," Buchanan quipped.

"I do not understand what he is saying. He had no agreement with the president of the party, he had no agreement with the campaign chairman for Team PNP, he had no agreement with the campaign director. Those are the babblings of a senile person."

An estimated 4,600 PNP delegates will meet at the party's annual conference on September 20 to elect a president and four vice-presidents.

arthur.hall@gleanerjm.com