PETER Phillips, the man who is challenging Portia Simpson Miller for the presidency of the Opposition People's National Party (PNP), has asked his fellow comrades to keep the campaign clean and have respect for the party president.

"The utmost respect must be shown to the party president, Comrade Portia Simpson Miller. We appreciate what she has done for the party," Phillips told Sunday's conference of the Bellefield and Royal Flat divisions in Manchester. He added that the party should not repeat the mistakes of the pre-2006 presidential contest, when the party was bitterly divided between the Phillips and Simpson Miller camps after P J Patterson stepped down as party president.

".There are those who have asked about the timing of the challenge and I will answer with respect. If not now, when? When is the time to love your country.?" Phillips asked.

General secretary Peter Bunting, the member of parliament for Manchester Central, also urged the PNP supporters not to "repeat some of the mistakes that were made in 2006".

".Not in terms of candidates but in terms of behaviour," said Bunting, who said he was attending the conference in his capacity as general secretary, making sure that there was credibility to the process.

"Some hurtful and harsh things were said (in the 2006 campaign)," he told the comrades, and urged them not to go that way again.

At the same time, Manchester South MP, Michael Peart, who is the regional chairman, said he would not tolerate any disrespect to either camp in the region.

"I will not have it here in Manchester. I don't want anybody to get on the talk shows with any cass-cass. I will not put up with it down here," he said.

St Catherine South MP Fitz Jackson also urged the PNP supporters to be of good conduct during the presidential campaign.

"The campaign will not be disrespectful, nor will it say anything hurtful and demeaning to the Simpson Miller's camp. This is not how PNP conducts business," said Jackson, who is backing Phillips in the election.

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