PEOPLE'S NATIONAL Party (PNP) President Portia Simpson Miller has consolidated her hold on the party with key supporters now occupying most of the top positions.

That grip could be consolidated if the party modifies its constitution as proposed to prevent the president from being challenged every year.

"I think we now need to look at giving security of tenure to that office," PNP Chairman Robert Pickersgill disclosed at a Regional Executive Council meeting at Glenmuir High School on Sunday.

According to Pickersgill, that security of tenure would lead to greater efficiency in the party.

He noted that the absence of a challenge to the party president over the years was a convention and not prevented by the constitution.

Tightened grip

Simpson Miller defeated Dr Peter Philips, Dr Omar Davies and Dr Karl Blythe to win the PNP presidency in 2006 but, two years later, she had to stave off another challenge from Phillips to keep her hold on the party.

Since that September 20 victory, she has been tightening her grip on the party by naming a shadow Cabinet dominated by her key supporters.

Simpson Miller will receive a further boost this week when the PNP completes the election of regional representatives to its National Executive Council (NEC).

Already Simpson Miller has solid support among the vice-presidents with key backers Derrick Kellier, Angella Brown-Burke and Noel Arscott holding three of the four posts.

The other vice-president is Dr Fenton Ferguson, a Phillips supporter who has never been openly hostile to Simpson Miller.

Long-serving chairman Robert Pickersgill and general secretary Peter Bunting are both believed to be loyal to Simpson Miller, while another of her backers, Anthony Hylton is set to replace Maxine Henry Wilson as the party's deputy chairman.

Strong support

At the regional level, Simpson Miller is well served with key members of her campaign team - Phillip Paulwell, DK Duncan and Natalie Neita-Headley, heading three of the six regions.

Two of the other regional chairmen, Mark Campbell and Wentworth Skeffery, are known Simpson Miller supporters, leaving Dr Donald Rhodd as the only person who was opposed to her heading a region.