THE LEADERSHIP of the People's National Party (PNP) is putting on a public display of unity, despite loud whispers from within its ranks that all is not well.

A widening rift over whether the party should contest the looming by-elections in at least two constituencies, and fresh concerns about the stewardship of Party President Portia Simpson Miller and General Secretary Peter Bunting have left the once-proud PNP stumbling like a punch-drunk boxer.

But following a lengthy meeting last Friday, the officers of the PNP emerged with a statement claiming that they remained confident in the leadership of Simpson Miller and Bunting.

Little comfort

However, that should be little comfort for Bunting, who has never been a popular general secretary, and Simpson Miller, who has failed to cement her hold on the party's top job.

In fact, despite expressing confidence in the general secretary, the PNP officers made no comment on reports that plans are afoot to oust Bunting following his controversial statements on the Internet social network Facebook.

Bunting posted Albert Einstein's "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results" immediately after the party's defeat in North East St Catherine, and followed that with Martin Luther King's "A genuine leader doesn't reflect consensus, he moulds consensus".

He later denied that the comments had been aimed at Simpson Miller and condemned his friends, who responded with derisive statements about Simpson Miller.

Problems not resolved

Yesterday, PNP insiders told The Sunday Gleaner that the statement from the officers was not an indication that the problems had been resolved.

According to the insiders, heated discussions are continuing at all levels of the party.

Political commentator Richard 'Dickie' Crawford, who was part of a team which conducted a review for the PNP following its 2007 general election defeat, also scoffed at the release.

"This is just a statement to neutralise the negative sentiments facing the party and an effort to build confidence," Crawford told The Sunday Gleaner.

"While the statement seeks to settle the controversy, it shows that there are several issues still to be resolved," Crawford added.

The PNP directed questions to party Chairman Robert Pickersgill, but efforts to contact him yesterday were unsuccessful.