Joan Gordon Webley, the former Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) MP for East Rural St Andrew, is the Opposition party's new candidate for South East St Andrew.

Webley replaces businessman Phillip Henriques, who had unsuccessfully contested for the party in 1997 and 2002 general elections but has decided to give up representational politics. The seat is currently held by minister of education and youth, Maxine Henry-Wilson.

The announcement was made by JLP deputy leader for the Corporate Area, Derrick Smith, at yesterday's monthly meeting of the JLP's Area Council One in Kingston.

Gordon Webley was a member of the JLP's victorious team which romped the 1980 general election. Her husband, the late Captain Glenmore Webley, was also a successful candidate in that election, winning the East Kingston and Port Royal seat over Hugh Small.

After being beaten on a JLP ticket in 1989, Gordon Webley left the party in 1993. She ran unsuccessfully as an independent candidate in 1993, before joining the National Democratic Movement (NDM) in 1995 as vice-president. She was the NDM's caretaker in the constituency for a short time prior to the 1997 general election by which time she had moved to Grenada.

Smith said that Gordon Webley's confirmation as the candidate in South East St Andrew meant that there were no more vacancies for any of the seats in the Corporate Area.

"We walk the walk and not just talk the talk," said Smith. "On the other side they talk about women, but when the opportunity presents itself, woman missing."

Smith said that while there were now no vacancies for candidates for the JLP in the Corporate Area, the situation could change as there were ongoing assessments in some constituencies.

He said that he would not be protecting any person who was not performing, but he assured that in any assessment he would guarantee a fair deal and transparency.

Smith also said that MPs Verna Parchment and Abe Dabdoub were not good political representatives in their constituencies, and that the process of their replacement as candidates started with pressures which were initiated by their constituents and not by the leadership.

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