The People’s National Party will try to wade through a long list of resolutions and weighty constitutional issues during a sanulimmed-down one-day conference on Jary 22, now only six days away. The conference was put off from last September to allow government to concentrate on hurricane recovery efforts after the September 10 battering from Hurricane Ivan.

Paul Burke, the chairman for the PNP’s powerful Region Three and the only one of six contenders who has made it clear that he wants to be president but not prime minister, is among those who have submitted resolutions.

His Campaign for Transformation has whittled down its original list of 17 issues to about eight. And even then, he is afraid there might not be enough time to get to some of those items.

“Unfortunately, it is going to be a one-day conference and some of the discussions we would have wanted will not be possible,” Burke said.

His list of items to be discussed includes:

. term limits,

. separation of responsibilities,

. the rights and obligations of party members,

. the empowerment of party members,

. the issue of community participation in democracy,

. servicing of groups by the party leadership, and

. discontinuing the use of the title ‘honourable’ conveyed on ministers of government.

This last issue, he said, would more than likely not be addressed because of time constraints.

However, delegates are expected to mull over Phillip Paulwell’s resolution for the direct election of party president even though any changes made are not expected to come into effect in time for the election of PJ Patterson’s successor as party president.

Paulwell has steadily argued that allowing all eligible members to vote for PNP president would re-energise the party and deepen the democratic process.

“It’s going to give a voice to that ordinary person from anywhere across Jamaica, for them to know that I chose my party leader and it won’t be just left up to the delegates,” he told the Sunday Observer last year.

The importance of discussing these and other matters was among the issues the party considered when making the decision, after the hurricane, about whether to simply skip the conference or hold it early this year.

“The decision was really whether we forgo and just go on to September,” said party chairman Robert Pickersgill, who is among those hoping to replace Patterson.

“But there are some organisational matters that have to be dealt with, and some constitutional requirements and some resolutions that can only be dealt with at a conference of delegates.”

In addition to his duties as chairman, Pickersgill is still mulling over when to officially throw his hat in the ring.

“My handlers have the matter under active review and when they decide on the date, it will be publicised,” he said. “But what I can tell you is that it won’t be before the 22nd.”

He intends, he said, pointing to the precedent set by Patterson, to hold both the chairmanship and the presidency at the same time.

The National Executive Council will meet on the Sunday following the conference, where the post of chairman comes up for review.

“I intend to offer myself there,” Pickersgill told the Sunday Observer. “So, the calendar right now is quite full and occupied.”

Pickersgill, who is the Transport and Works Minister and MP for St Catherine North Western, refused to name those in his corner or entertain a discussion about whom he would support if it became obvious that he could not win.

“I am in it for the long haul,” he said.

In addition to Pickersgill and Burke, those who have declared an interest in the presidency are:

. Local Government Minister and MP for St Andrew South Western Portia Simpson Miller;

. Dr Karl Blythe, the former Water and Housing Minister who represents Central Westmoreland;

. Dr Omar Davies, Minister of Finance and Planning and MP for St Andrew South; and

. Dr Peter Phillips, Minister of National Security and MP for St Andrew East Central.

There had been suggestions that Blythe and Simpson Miller would forge an alliance but the Westmoreland MP scotched those rumours, saying he was strong enough to go it alone.

Only Davies and Phillips have officially launched their bids for the presidency, to date. Davies held his soft launch on December 8, while Phillips declared his hand last Wednesday night.

Political watchers have kept a sharp eye on the turnout of comrades at the two official launches but some MPs, many of whom have turned up at both events, appear to be hedging their bets.

So far, Water and Housing Minister Donald Buchanan has openly thrown his support behind Davies. So too have Education Minister Maxine Henry-Wilson and Development Minister Paul Robertson who are leading Davies’ campaign team.

Among those at Phillips’ launch last week were Paulwell, the commerce minister and Port Royal MP; Davies’ junior ministers Fitz Jackson and Senator Deika Morrison; health minister John Junor; labour minister Horace Dalley; tourism minister Aloun Assamba and her junior minister Wykeham McNeill; president of the Senate Syringa Marshall-Burnett; North Trelawny MP Dr Patrick Harris; and Charles Learmond, MP for Clarendon South Western.

But despite the jockeying for position, Burke insisted that the conference would not be used to score points with delegates, but as a time for hard work – a position he believes Patterson shares.

“I think the party president just really wants decisions, and to go ahead with the programme of the party,” said Burke.

“There is a lot of work to be done and I think that is where his focus is. I think he doesn’t want it diverted by different candidates profiling – for want of a better word. I think he wants the party to focus on some specific things, so I think he wants sharp focus and I think he may be able to obtain much of that in one day.”

Financing was also a factor in the decision to scale back.

“There is a real cost factor and the party feels that it is better to use that money in carrying out the programmes of work,” Burke said, adding that delegates – especially those from out of town – would have also felt the strain on their pockets with the conference coming on the heels of Christmas and back-to-school spending.

However, Pickersgill said that funding, while there is always room for more money in the party’s coffers, had not been a major part of the decision not to have three days of meetings.

The overriding concern, he said, had been about how an elaborate three-day conference would be perceived by those still recovering from the battering of Hurricane Ivan.

The Jamaica Labour Party had also confronted the same issue but had decided to press ahead with its conference. However, their annual meeting was later derailed by court action taken by leadership contender Pearnel Charles who argued that the delegates’ list was dirty.

The JLP conference has been pushed back to February 19 and 20.