WESTERN BUREAU – Maxine Henry-Wilson comfortably fought off a political challenge from the youthfully exuberant Phillip Paulwell, whipping him by a two to one vote, to retain her position as deputy chair of the People’s National Party.

Yesterday, Dr Peter Phillips’ camp celebrated the outcome as a victory for Phillips, a contender for party president.

Paulwell’s attempt to unseat Henry-Wilson had been seen in the party as a bid to undermine Phillips’ campaign.

Henry-Wilson is a key member of Phillips’ campaign team. A vote against her would have dealt a serious blow to Phillips, in the wake of the vice-presidential race in which he slipped, in popularity from second to third place.

Paulwell, who holds the portfolio of commerce, science and technology, claimed 70 votes to education minister Henry-Wilson’s 155, at yesterday’s National Executive Committee meeting held at the Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort and Spa in Montego Bay.

One ballot of 226 was spoilt.

Robert Pickersgill, who holds the influential transport and works portfolio, and on whom the moniker ‘chairman for life’ has been conferred, retained the chair of the party, having gone into the elections unopposed.

Eleven NEC representatives were also selected to serve on the party’s Executive Committee, six of whom retained the posts they have held since 2003.

Those re-elected were:

. John Junor, health minister;

. Anthony Hylton, trade ambassador;

. Senator Trevor Munroe;

. Wykeham McNeil, junior tourism minister;

. Denise Dalley, minority leader in the St Catherine Parish Council; and

. former MP Ronald Thwaites.

The other slots were taken by Member of Parliament Morais Guy; Lenworth Blake; Aloun Assamba, the tourism minister; KD Knight, foreign affairs minister; and Senator Kern Spencer.

Shortly, after her re-election yesterday, Henry-Wilson told the Observer that she was not surprised at her victory.

“We had done our canvass and we had come up with about 150 to about 159 (votes) so this is well within what we had anticipated,” Henry-Wilson said.

She thanked the NEC members for their support and commended her challenger for his effort.

“I would like to thank comrade Paulwell. I do believe that he has a very, very great potential of becoming one of the members of the leadership of this party,” she said.

For his part, Paulwell said that Henry-Wilson has served the party well over the years, particularly in the capacity as general secretary.

“She has many more years of service than I, and I want to congratulate her,” he said, adding, however, that at the next opportunity he would vie for a position at the party’s second-tier leadership.

Outside of the party’s annual conference, the NEC is the most powerful, decision-making body within the PNP.

At yesterday’s meeting, the council accepted a motion from party president PJ Patterson, to bring forward the date of the party’s annual conference by about a week.

In moving the motion, Patterson said the proposed conference dates would coincide with engagements he has as chairman of the Group of 77 and China.

“The date appointed for the (G77) meetings would overlap with the dates that we anticipated for our annual conference, because we usually have the annual conference to culminate around the 18th of September. I am, therefore, proposing that we have annual conference starting the 8th and ending on the 11th,” Patterson said.

Jamaica assumed the chair of the G77 in January and will therefore preside over the second summit of the Group to be held in Doha, Qatar during the second quarter of this year.

– cummingsm@jamaicaobserver.com