Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Dr Kenneth Baugh (right), escorts President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, Bharrat Jagdeo (left), when he arrived at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston yesterday for a five-day working visit. He will participate in and attend a number of activities and events, including the Emancipation Day celebration in Emancipation Square, Spanish Town, St Catherine, on August 1, and the Denbigh Agricultural and Industrial Show on August 2, where he is scheduled to deliver the keynote address. - Contributed

THE OPPOSITION People's National Party (PNP) has expressed shock and disappointment at a statement made by the leader of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), Prime Minister Bruce Golding.

Golding on Wednesday accused the PNP of reneging on an agreement not to contest the North West Clarendon seat, formerly held by Michael Stern.

At a press conference at the party's Old Hope Road headquarters yesterday, PNP Chairman Robert Pickergill said that no agreement was in place.

"The parties had not reached a position. The talks were still going on ... no agreement had been arrived at," Pickersgill said yesterday.

Both parties met at the table after Prime Minister Golding signalled his party's intent to file constitutional motions against PNP MPs who he said were strangers in the House.

further hiccups

Yesterday, Pickersgill hinted that if the parties did not arrive at a settlement, it could spell further hiccups, especially if the JLP targeted PNP MPs.

"...We shall see what we shall see if we don't arrive at an agreement," the PNP chairman said.

Pickersgill also described as irresponsible comments from the leadership of the JLP that Supreme Court Justice Lloyd Hibbert was taking too long to deliver his judgment in the Stern/Azan case.

Stern was ousted on Monday after he admitted in court that he was an American citizen at the time he was elected to the House of Representatives.

"We are cautioning all those who are being irresponsible in their utterances that they are being viewed by many as attempting to influence or intimidate the judiciary," Pickersgill said.

Azan, the defeated PNP candidate, had instructed his attorney, Abe Dabdoub, to argue for the court to turn over the vacant North West Clarendon seat to him.

Dabdoub argued that because Stern was an American citizen at the time of his nomination for the 2007 general election, Azan was the only duly nominated person to face the electorate. Dabdoub has asked the judge to declare Azan the MP.

The understanding

However, following Dabdoub's submission to the court, Prime Minister Golding said the PNP breached the agreement to have the judge declare a by-election.

"The understanding was that we wouldn't bother to have a contested election. Where it involved a JLP member of parliament, he would not be opposed and where it involved a PNP member of parliament, we would not put up a candidate," Golding said on Wednesday.

However, Pickersgill said that although the parties were having discussions, a deal was not consummated.

Pickersgill said yesterday that there were three meetings between the JLP and PNP and despite consensus on most issues, the parties had not signed off on how they would approach the cases.

He said that prior to the date of the trial, Stern's counsel held a conference call with Dabdoub in which it was suggested that Azan should abandon the claim for the seat and allow the judge to rule for a by-election. The PNP chairman said that Dabdoub refused the suggestion and informed that he had been instructed otherwise.

According to Pickersgill, "The party, while cognisant of the need to find a political solution to the matter at hand, cannot interfere or intervene in either what is a lawyer/client relationship or what is solely within the purview of the judiciary."

Meanwhile, with Justice Hibbert set to deliver a ruling in August, Jamaica is on a possible election watch as Prime Minister Golding has warned that he would not allow anyone rejected at the polls to sit in Parliament as a representative of the people.

The PNP has said it would be ready to go to the polls should Golding call a general election.