Arthur Hall, Senior Staff Reporter

Paul Burke - File

THE ONGOING controversy over bogus groups and fraudulent delegates could sour the victory of the winner of the People's National Party's (PNP) presidential race.

Allegations by veteran PNP member Paul Burke about paper and seasonal groups, corruption and skulduggery, in the process of selecting delegates to elect the president have overshadowed the election campaign this week and left the party in a quandary as it struggles to convince the public that the process is above board.

The PNP Secretariat has rejected Burke's charges and the supporters of the two candidates, Portia Simpson Miller and Dr Peter Phillips, have come out behind General Secretary Peter Bunting and his team.

But that has not stopped tongues wagging as the public reacts to the damning allegations from a man who has been a key organiser for the PNP over many years.

moral fibre

"What if Burke is correct? Does this say something about the moral fibre of the two candidates who would be willing to become PNP president and opposition leader on a voters' list that is flawed at best, or corrupt at worst?"asked university lecturer Dr Orville Taylor.

That is a position shared by political commentator Richard 'Dickie' Crawford, who was part of a team which conducted a review of the PNP after its electoral defeats last year.

"The controversy over the bogus groups has severe implications and must be cleared up by the party, or the public might not have confidence in the winner," Crawford told The Sunday Gleaner.

Veteran journalist and political commentator Ian Boyne said the timing of Burke's latest broadside against the PNP leads to many concerns, including the possibility that it was designed to leave questions about the legitimacy of the victory.

But that is not enough for Boyne to reject the allegations.

"It raises disturbing questions about the democratic process of the PNP," said Boyne.

However, the PNP general secretary has dismissed the allegations and has argued that the party is in the process of strengthening and improving the level of account-ability of its group structure

"I don't think they (the allegations) do anything to the cause which he (Burke) is trying to achieve, or the party," Bunting said.

According to Bunting, in July, the party's Structures Review Committee, chaired by Burke, made a number of recommendations to the National Executive Council to address the concerns regarding the groups, and these have been taken onboard.

Bunting argued that some of the recommendations require constitutional change and are scheduled to be discussed at the party's annual conference on September 19.

"Many amendments are coming to our constitution to plug some of the loopholes and reduce some abuses; but the kind of hyperbole that I hear being used to suggest that the entire system or half the system is bad is really an exaggeration," Bunting said.

bogus groups

The general secretary had the full backing of supporters of the two candidates who gave the secretariat high marks for its attempts to rid the party of bogus groups.

Both camps have questioned some of the delegates on the draft voters' list but neither side believes this is a major issue which will affect the integrity of the result.

"Several groups have already been brought before the party's appellate body and when the documents were reviewed, the groups were deregistered," said Simpson Miller spokesperson, Raymond Pryce.

"As I have said before, we have full confidence in the work of the secretariat and the system that is in place for the holding of the election," added Phillips' campaign manager, Fitz Jackson.

For his part, Phillips told The Sunday Gleaner that the almost 300 groups registered in his East Central St Andrew constituency were all legitimate, despite the claims by Burke that if the number were true, the constituency would be the best organised in the 70-year history of the PNP.

"The competent authority to oversee the delegate status and determine the group status is the secretariat of the party and we are confident in this body ... Anyone who has concerns should bring these to the proper body," Phillips added.

not just internal party matter

But the comments from the secretariat and the two camps have done little to affect the perception that all is not well.

"This is not just an internal party matter. The PNP is one of the country's major political parties and every Jamaican should be concerned that it is being accused of a widespread rape of the democratic process," Boyne argued.

That position is fully supported by Dr Orville Taylor. "The larger problem is that the 2006 presidential election was conducted on the same flawed list, but neither side is using the validity of the list to raise concerns about the other."

Crawford warns that the reaction by the loser could set the tone for the rest of the country.

"If both teams agree to the voters' list, they will have to convince the country that it is a clean one," said Crawford.

Another commentator, Dr Henley Morgan, says even if the list is clean, the winner could find himself or herself in trouble.

"There has been bad blood between the supporters of both sides and the presidential race has become a conflict instead of a contest. This could be a pyrrhic victory," Morgan said.

arthur.hall@gleanerjm.com.

Delegates in a celebratory mood at last year's PNP 69th annual conference at the National Arena. - file