Waite is the man

A triumphant, yet sober Basil Waite emphasised “unity” as his number one priority following a comfortable victory in yesterday’s delegate selection to replace the embattled Kern Spencer as the Opposition People’s National Party’s (PNP) “Standard Bearer” in North East St Elizabeth.

“The delegates have spoken. It is time for us to now move and unite the constituency and focus on empowerment for the people in the constituency of North East St Elizabeth,” said Waite, thronged by jubilant orange-clad supporters.

Waite, a native of North West St Elizabeth, was speaking to journalists within minutes after the announcement of the results at the St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) where the selection was held.

In a high turn out of delegates on an incident-free day with the odd light shower, Waite, a Senator and the Opposition Spokesman on Education polled 179 votes, 60 more than main rival, Region Five chairman Wensworth Skeffery, 109. Three other candidates in the race were hardly a factor: Nigel Pagon got 13 votes, Dr Lynden Rose, eight, and Winston Samuels, five.

The victory means that Waite now only needs formal ratification from the PNP hierarchy to be the man to contest the next parliamentary election whenever it is called.

Director of Elections, PNP deputy general secretary Julian Robinson said that 314 delegates of a possible 327 voted.

Against a backdrop of high tension on occasions leading up to yesterday’s selection, Robinson hailed the delegates for their “excellent” behaviour and for “abiding by all the rules and guidelines”.

Waite pledged to work closely with Skeffery and Member of Parliament Spencer to ensure that NE St Elizabeth remains firmly in the fold of the PNP.

“It is one PNP, one family and all of us will have to now unite to move forward and fight the bigger rival (ruling Jamaica Labour Party) and move forward to ensure that this constituency remains a constituency in the column of the People’s National Party; that we retain the three parish council divisions that we have and that we take the Santa Cruz division,” he said.

NE St Elizabeth, routinely considered one of the strongest constituencies for the PNP in rural Jamaica, was the only St Elizabeth seat taken by the party in the 2007 general election.

Waite said that one of his early tasks will be to “establish a development plan for the constituency and move forward and build on the legacy” left by those before.

When the Observer caught up with Skeffery 400 metres away from STETHS at his ‘base’ close to the Santa Cruz town centre, he struck the same note of “unity” sounded by the victor.

“The delegates of North East St Elizabeth spoke and it is clear that Comrade Waite is their choice. I want to encourage all of us now to reunite and get the party work on the road. We have a candidate in place and we all need to work and support that candidate for the victory of the PNP in NE St Elizabeth. We had a good campaign.

“I want to congratulate and wish him all the best in the interest of the PNP and NE St Elizabeth,” Skeffery said.

But when reached by telephone, Spencer, who was forced to withdraw his name from consideration for upcoming elections because he is before the Courts on corruption charges linked to the Cuban light bulb scandal, struck a somewhat discordant note. He spoke of “reports” of irregularities leading up to yesterday’s poll and described himself as “very worried”, about the “healing process” following what he felt had been “a lot of nasty, mud-slinging.”

When pressed, Spencer said that “as MP and as a Comrade, I will do whatever it takes so that the party wins the next general election”.

Earlier, Waite sought to downplay reported discord between himself and Spencer.

“Words are wind, whatever obstacles or barriers there are, what unites us should be greater and that is the interest of the people of NE St Elizabeth,” he said.

“I have absolutely no ill will towards Comrade Spencer, and therefore I am looking forward to working with him in any way whatsoever in the interest of the people. We need to remove egos out of the way, we need to remove personalities, and petty grievances out of the way,” Waite said.