Lloyd B. Smith - File

LLOYD B. Smith is reportedly being courted for the People's National Party (PNP) ticket in St James. The Gleaner has been reliably informed that the veteran journalist who contested a seat for the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) 12 years ago is now eyeing West Central St James.

The seat is currently represented by the JLP's Clive Mullings.

"Members of the party have approached me, but I have not approached anybody in the party in that regard," Smith told The Gleaner yesterday.

Noting that he has "not made any decision at this stage", Smith told The Gleaner that the discussions with the PNP have been "nothing formal where we have been sitting down and having any meetings or any such dialogue".

However, a party strategist told The Gleaner that while Smith has not applied for West Central St James, he is "looking at that constituency and at the same time hopeful that he may get a chance to represent the new seat if St James gets another constituency when the numbers are increased to 63".

Intensified candidate-selection programme

The PNP said it has intensified its candidate-selection programme across the country. Its president, Portia Simpson Miller, has assumed the responsibility of selecting candidates for the next general election, constitutionally due in 2012.

Among those who could appear on the PNP's platform is former Police Commissioner Lucius Thomas, who Gleaner sources say approached the party nearly two years ago.

Thomas is eyeing the North West St Ann seat but would have to get past Chairman Ivan Anderson in order to get the nod.

Francis Tulloch contested the West Central St James seat for the party in the 2007 general election, but returned to the retirement lounge after losing by 536 votes to Mullings.

Not a political flip-flop

When Smith contested the South St James seat on behalf of the JLP in the 1997 general election against the PNP's Derrick Kellier, he polled 3,449 votes to Kellier's 7,106.

He told The Gleaner yesterday that even if he accepts the invitation to run on the PNP's ticket, it does not mean he is a political flip-flop.

"I don't have any hard-nosed political position. I have always sought to be a patriot. If I see where a particular party at any given time has the right blend of policies and leadership that can take the country forward, I will support that party," Smith said.

However, the founding editor of the Western Mirror newspaper has told The Gleaner that he has a lot of other commitments which supersede any desire to return to representational politics.

"I have my newspaper, I have my family and these take precedence. Any such decision would have to be done after some very serious consultation with both my newspaper directors as well as my immediate family and I have not done any such thing and so I am not in a position to make any such commitment at this time," Smith said.

daraine.luton@gleanerjm.com