PNP clears the air on Region 6 drama Loop Jamaica

The People’s National Party (PNP) said it is unfortunate that a nominee who was unsuccessful in his bid to gain a position as one of the Region 6 National Executive Council (NEC) representatives would take to the media to disparage the process.

Pandemonium broke out at the conclusion of the Region 6 Conference, held in part to elect executives as well as representatives for the party’s second-highest decision-making body the National Executive Council. Some party supporters voiced their concerns to media representatives at the conference, claiming that the counting of ballots was not transparent.

However, the PNP in a release said that the party successfully hosted annual regional conferences in all six regions on Sunday, August 28, 2022.All six conferences were incident free, the party said, and all six regional chairmen returned unopposed.

The statement said at the end of the Region 6 conference, one unsuccessful aspirant in the regional election for National Executive Council (NEC) positions, and another individual, who is not a member of the party, then took to the media, to express their dissatisfaction with the process and outcome of the regional elections for NEC membership.

The statements said: “The secretariat, represented by Deputy General Secretary (DGS) Wensworth Skeffery, presided over the elections at the Region 6 conference.

“As is customary, the DGS enlisted the assistance of other staff of the Secretariat, along with senior members of the Patriots, to count the ballots, outside in the open, and in the view of all, as the location did not have closed rooms available for this purpose.”

There was no election for Regional Chairman as Colin Hitchman was returned unopposed for the position.

In outlining the situation, the PNP said 14 nominations for NEC membership were submitted by the conference, of which the 10 Comrades who received the highest votes were chosen, as required by the party’s constitution.

“It is indeed unfortunate that the personal disaffection of an unsuccessful NEC nominee and another individual who is not even a member of the PNP, through their false and inflammatory statements to a media house, have marred an otherwise successful and incident-free conference.

“The secretariat will take steps to remind our members of the available fora within the party to raise concerns or express disapproval of internal matters,” the party said.