West Central St Catherine Member of Parliament, Dr Kenneth “Ken” Baugh, has emerged as the compromise candidate to become opposition leader if Bruce Golding wins the November race for leadership of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) but remains outside the House of Representatives.

The Sunday Observer learned that Dr Baugh, a past JLP general-secretary and former minister of health, has been given the nod by 18 of the party’s 26 members in parliament to take over the position, assuming that party leader Edward Seaga also demits office as opposition leader in November.

Those same 18 MPs are also supporting party chairman Golding’s quest to become party leader.

But Baugh is expected to face competition with one, possibly two other MPs who have apparently been approached by supporters to make themselves available.

“Dr Kenny Baugh is certainly the person around whom the majority of the Parliamentary group and those supporting Bruce (Golding) would coalesce. But, be clear on this, any decision would have to be after consultations with the parliamentary group,” an authoritative JLP insider said last week.

While no official moves have been made from Golding’s camp to the two leading individuals, Sunday Observer sources said that it was the majority of the parliamentarians who had narrowed the list down to two, possibly three.

Baugh was unable to speak when he was contacted late Friday, but he promised to return the newspaper’s call. However, several hours later when he was called again, his cell phone was off.

The possibility of two individuals holding the positions of party leader and opposition leader arose after Seaga, who held both, announced he would step down as party leader in November but remain as MP for West Kingston. It is not yet clear whether he will step down as opposition leader as well.

Golding is widely seen as the man who will succeed Seaga as party leader. But under Jamaica’s Westminster-style constitution, he can’t become opposition leader, since he has no seat in the House of Representatives.

Golding, Sunday Observer sources said last week, appeared willing to have someone else become opposition leader, giving him time to build back the party and heal the wounds it has suffered in the past several years, in his capacity as party leader.

The selection process for the job of opposition leader is not expected to be as contentious as that for party leader. “We have discussed it among ourselves, and we agree that if we are asked, we would (first) ask Mr Seaga to continue as opposition leader,” one of the parties said. “We would only consider it if Mr Seaga declined.”

Meanwhile, attention turns today to the scheduled meeting of the party’s Central Executive. Party general-secretary Karl Samuda confirmed that the meetinbg was expected to address several outstanding issues, including:

. the contentious vote-buying allegationsby Dr Dennis Minott;

. the attempted overthrow of Port Antonio mayor, Alston Hunter by JLP councillor Benny White; and

. the recent revelations that a car allegedly co-owned by Central St Catherine MP, Olivia “Babsy” Grange and a constituent, was driven by slain ‘One Order’ gang leader, Oliver “Bubba” Smith, the night he was killed.