PEOPLE’S National Party councillor for the Montego Bay West division, Dr Ucal Thompson, has declared interest in the recently vacated constituency chairmanship for North West St James, and has also made it clear that he wants to be the party’s candidate for the area in the next general elections.

The chairmanship became available after Senator Janet Madden’s surprise resignation in the wake of reports that she had failed to garner party support in her bid to be selected as the candidate who would go on to replace Francis Tulloch as the Member of Parliament for the area.

“I applied to the party on Monday for the chairmanship, and I want to represent the people in that constituency,” Dr Thompson told the Observer earlier this week.

With a successful medical practice in Montego Bay, he was elected as councillor in 1997 after he narrowly defeated Anthony “Tony Dillon” Lewin of the Jamaica Labour Party.

Dr Thompson represents a division that has a number of communities where poverty is rampant and living conditions are said to be sub-standard. But sections of the division also include the Gloucester Avenue tourist strip as well as the commercial area of Montego Bay.

According to Dr Thompson, his decision to apply to the party for the top post in North West St James was based on the mounting calls from party supporters for him to take charge of the area.

“I am just acceding to the wishes of the people,” he said. He pointed out that the constituency needs someone who is willing to serve in a meaningful way, and not for personal gain. He added that he was confident that he could make a difference if he were successful in his bid to become constituency chairman and MP.

“I am qualified to do the job. Apart from my medical training I have done courses in political science and public administration so I know that I would give good service,” Thompson stressed.

Since Madden’s surprise resignation last month, there has been no official word from the PNP as to when a constituency chairman would be named. But sources close to the party told the Observer that the position could be filled within another two months.