Councillor Andrew Wheatley (left), who was yesterday selected to replace Raymoth Notice as mayor of Spanish Town, is congratulated by Jamaica Labour Party Deputy Leader James Roberston, following a meeting at the party's headquarters in Kingston, last night. (Photo: Joseph Wellington)

COUNCILLOR Andrew Wheatley, the deputy mayor of Spanish Town, was last night chosen to succeed his former boss, Dr Raymoth Notice, who was last week forced to resign a day after wife-beating charges against him were dropped in the Linstead Resident Magistrate's Court.

Wheatley's deputy will be Councillor Owen Palmer (Homestead Division) in the Jamaica Labour Party-controlled St Catherine Parish Council. The JLP holds 23 seats and the People's National Party has 17 seats in the council.

Sources said the special meeting to elect the new mayor was held the headquarters of the JLP on Belmont Road in Kingston as some labour party councillors were not in support of Wheatley's taking up the chairmanship of the parish council because he is also a member of the Portmore Municipal Council, which has its own mayor and deputy.
Wheatley represents the Naggo Head Division in Portmore.
Some councillors had come prepared to elect Devon Wint, councillor of the Point Hill Division and president of Young Jamaica - the youth arm of the JLP - to be the new mayor.

However, leaders of the JLP, in trying to avoid any legal fall-out, ensured that the parish Council Act was followed in selecting the new mayor.

Supporters of the People's National Party demonstrating at the Bog Walk roundabout, calling for the resignation of Raymoth Notice as councillor. (Photo: Joseph Wellington)

"The leadership of the party, led by party leader Bruce Golding, went in discussions with the councillors of the St Catherine Parish Council and at the end of that discussion the labour party was guided by the provisions of the Parish Council Act," party spokesman on information Senator Dwight Nelson told reporters last night following a two-and-a-half-hour meeting.

He said Section 93 (sub section 2) of the Act states quite clearly that on the resignation, death or removal of the chairman of the parish council, the vice-chairman of the council shall accede to that post. ".On that basis, Dr Andrew Wheatley has been chosen in accordance with the prescriptions of the law, as the new chairman of the St Catherine Parish Council," Nelson said. He said that as soon as Notice hands in his resignation to the party, Wheatley will be sworn in as the new mayor of Spanish Town.

Notice is expected to hand in his resignation today.

Nelson said councillors expressed appreciation for the work of Notice and expressed regret at the circumstances which led to his resignation, but pledged continued support to him as he continues to represent his political division.

Before the meeting, Notice told the Observer that he would not be resigning as councillor for the Bog Walk Division, despite pressure from the People's National Party.

"It is regrettable, but I have to go. It is a matter of trying to set standards," Notice said. All public officers and politicians, he said, should follow his example and resign their positions once there were allegations that their integrity was tarnished.

"For too long government leaders have failed to set the example...If we should start house-cleaning it means we would not have a government now," he said.

Early yesterday morning, a group of persons, mainly women supporters of the People's National Party, protested at the Bog Walk roundabout, calling for the resignation of Notice as councillor.

The placard-bearing protesters were supported by former PNP mayor of Spanish Town and sitting councillor of the Sligoville Division Owen Stephenson, councillor of the Dela-Vega City Division Enos Lawrence and councillor for the Mt Industry Division Donnell Marriott.

Stephenson said if Notice does not give up the divisional seat before the next sitting of the St Catherine parish council on July 14 the PNP would be boycotting the meeting.

- Additional reporting by John Tavares, Observer correspondent,/B>

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