MONTEGO BAY, St James - People's National Party (PNP) supporters in Western Jamaica appear to have mixed views on who should succeed party leader PJ Patterson as president of the 67-year-old party.

However, based on Observer checks done on the weekend, many believe that as the day of the vote nears, it will be a straight battle between Portia Simpson Miller and Dr Peter Phillips.

The other candidates are Dr Omar Davies and Dr Karl Blythe. The vote for a new president is set for February 25 at the Jamaica College high school campus in Kingston.

Phillips, his supporters say, has done well in chairing different government groups and has perfomed well in previous portfolios of health, and transport and works; Simpson Miller has been called 'the remedy' by hers.

"After weighing the pros and cons and looking at his experience in government, I believe without a doubt that Peter Phillips is the right person to lead the party at this time," said Danree DeLancy, a councillor in the Bethel Town division of Patterson's Eastern Westmoreland constituency.

Phillips, he said, performed well during his tenure in the ministries of health and transport and works and has been outstanding in chairing a number of committees set up by government over the past years.

Phillips, as security minister, has been criticised for the country's spiralling homicide rate, with a new record of 1,674 murders last year in a population of 2.64 million.

But DeLancy argues that the position as security minister is one of the 'toughest jobs' and was confident, he said, that crime and violence would eventually be brought under control with Phillips at the head of government.
DeLancy is calling 2,000 votes for Phillips.

Junior tourism minister Wykeham McNeil, a member of Phillips' campaign, too, says that of the roughly 600 votes in western Jamaica, Phillips would secure more than half.

"Region Six is 'solid' and our canvas is showing that we will get more than 350 of the votes," Mc Neil told the Sunday Observer on Saturday.

Gerard Mitchell, a former deputy mayor of Montego Bay, is backing Team Portia.

"Simpson Miller is the remedy that is needed to unite the country. Jamaica needs a leader who commands respect across the political boundaries and I am convinced that she will win," said Mitchell, a member of Simpson Miller's campaign.

Lloyd Hill, former mayor of Lucea, is also working to secure victory for Simpson Miller.

"Based on the feedback that I am getting, the general population out there wants us to put in Portia," Hill insisted.

Of the roughly 102 delegates in Hanover, he said, at least 86 of them will be voting for Simpson Miller.

But, O Dave Allen, a member of Davies' Campaign for Prosperity team, maintains that the finance minister is strong as a unifier of the party and manager of the economy.

"His track record speaks for itself," Allen declared, saying Davies would secure at least 1,500 delegate votes, which would be sufficient to make him victorious.

"The delegates will see Omar as the best choice so, accordingly, Omar will win," said Allen.

- cummingsm@jamaicaobserver.com

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