WESTERN BUREAU – The Selection Committee of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) was scheduled to meet last night to ratify the candidacy of Senator Norman Horne in the constituency of South East St Elizabeth.

“As a routine activity the Selection Committee is expected to meet tonight (Monday) to approve it and then the Central Executive will accept the decision,” JLP deputy leader for the party’s Area Council Four Dr Horace Chang, told the Observer yesterday.

Horne was declared chairman of the constituency on Sunday after Jeremy Palmer, the other contender for the position, withdrew from the race late Saturday.

Horne will replace mayor of Black River Councillor Franklin Witter, who contested the seat in the 2002 general elections but lost to the People’s National Party’s Lenworth Blake.

Following Palmer’s withdrawal from the race, Horne, who lost to the PNP’s John Junor in the Central Manchester constituency in the 2002 general elections, told the Observer that he was ready to prepare the constituency for the next general elections.

“My main focus now is to unify party members in the constituency and to start preparing the party for the greater challenge of gaining parliamentary power from the PNP,” he said.

He added that he would be meeting with Palmer later this week to see how best both of them could work together to ensure a JLP win in the next poll.

On September 5 the JLP will select a caretaker/candidate for the South West St Elizabeth constituency. Christopher Tufton, the chairman of the JLP-affiliate G2K, will face off against Keith Reynolds in that race.

The winner will replace former caretaker Derrick Sangster, who narrowly lost to the PNP’s Donald Buchanan in 2002.

Meanwhile, the JLP is to decide later this week when delegates in the constituency of North Trelawny will select a caretaker.

Three people are vying to represent the party in the constituency, which was left vacant by Christopher Jobson, shortly after he was defeated by Dr Patrick Harris of the PNP in 2002.

They are:

. Marisa Dalrymple-Phillibert, an attorney-at- law;

. Ian Hayles, a G2K vice president; and

. Businessman Ed Wallace.

The selection was scheduled to take place last month, but Dr Chang told the Observer yesterday that the candidates had asked for more time to campaign.

“The candidates had all asked for a delay and we will be meeting with them this week, so by weekend we should know when the selection will take place,” he said.