A total of seven applications were received when ruling People’s National Party closed nominations yesterday for its four vice-presidents, who will be elected at the party’s 68th annual conference on Saturday, September 23.

The seven include the incumbent Dr Peter Phillips, who, if re-elected, will become the longest serving vice-president, following the elevation of Portia Simpson Miller to the post of president in February.

Simpson Miller served for 28 years as a vice-president and was the first woman to have held that position in the party.

The remaining six, all first-time applicants, include two women – St Catherine South Central Member of Parliament Sharon Hay-Webster, and councillor for the Norman Gardens Division, Angela Brown-Burke.

The others are lecturer Louis Moyston, MPs Derrick Kellier and Dr Fenton Ferguson, and Senator Kern Spencer.

Kellier is the minister of labour and social security, while Dr Ferguson is the state minister in the Ministry of Housing, Water, Transportation and Works.

Spencer is the state minister in the Ministry of Industry, Technology, Energy and Commerce.

Yesterday, PNP general secretary Colin Campbell said he did not consider any of the nominations a surprise. “As long as you are a fully paid up member of the party, you can nominate for any position,” said Campbell.

Campbell said the new nomination procedures were put in place to avoid a repetition of the on-the-floor nomination of Paul Burke for vice-president two years ago.

Campbell also said the conference date has been shifted to allow Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller to attend the meeting of non-aligned heads in Cuba.

The conference will now be held over four days, beginning on Thursday, September 21.