KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) constituency executive for St Catherine North East, by unanimous decision, has endorsed the application of attorney-at-law and JLP deputy treasurer, Leslie Campbell, to be its next caretaker and candidate for the upcoming general election.

The constituency executive met Sunday to examine and deliberate on Campbell’s application, as well as Lennon Richards, who was also seeking to be the party’s representative for the constituency.  

Both applicants were invited to make a presentation to the constituency executive and to answer questions from members.

The constituency executive said, while it considered both applicants to be strong prospective candidates, its decision to endorse Campbell was arrived at after considering the following facts:

1. Campbell is a ‘son of the soil’, having been born, raised and attended school in Glengoffe, North East St Catherine. In addition, he is from a very large ‘traditional JLP family’ in the constituency that has consistently supported the party.

2. Campbell is well known to workers and supporters of the JLP in North East St Catherine, having developed a close relationship with the people when he ran a very vibrant and visible campaign, in the bordering constituency of East Central St Catherine in the 2007 election campaign.

3. Sections of what was then East Central St Catherine constituency, where Campbell was JLP caretaker in 2007, and where he established very strong connections, are now part of North East St Catherine, following the realignment of boundaries by the Electoral Office of Jamaica. These include Cassava River and Lucky Valley.

4. Campbell’s application was endorsed by the outgoing MP, Gregory Mair.

5. Initial consultations by members of the executive, with ‘registered’ workers and delegates of the constituency, overwhelmingly endorsed Campbell as the preferred choice.

6. Campbell, both as a product of the constituency and as an officer of the JLP, working with the constituency executive and MP, will be able to unite the party workers and supporters for victory.

7. Campbell, in response to questions posed to him, indicated that he has the time and access to the needed resources, both prerequisites for a successful election campaign.

The JLP constituency executive also confirmed that a meeting held on Friday, September 4, saw a resolution passed by unanimous decision, rejecting the application of Sharon Hay Webster.

The executive said the rejection of Hay Webster’s application was also in keeping with the expressed wishes of the constituency committee, who was consulted on the same issue by JLP General Secretary Dr Horace Chang two months before.