CHRISTIANA, Manchester – Businessman Norman Horne publicly declared his intent-ion to challenge Michael Peart as PNP Region Five chairman at a party fund-raising dinner in Christiana, North East Manchester on Wednesday night.

PNP sources said last week that Horne was set to challenge Peart at the Region Five annual conference originally set for last Sunday but which was postponed because of the threat of Tropical Storm Ernesto.

A date for the conference is still to be finalised because of queries regarding the delegates’ list. But September 10 has been penciled in.

Horne, who had previously refused to “confirm or deny” reports of his intention to challenge Peart, promised guests at the fund-raising function held at the Holmwood Technical High School that he planned to make Region Five the most modern and up-to-date political region in the Caribbean.

He was backed by several PNP councillors and constituency candidates from the eight constituencies in Manchester and St Elizabeth which make up Region Five. They included the PNP’s candidate for North East Manchester, Paul Lyn, who is to challenge incumbent MP Audley Shaw of the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) when general elections, which are constitutionally due next year, are called.

Horne, head of ARC Systems – a leading manufacturer and importer of building materials – said that as Region Five chairman he would establish a secretariat to deal specifically with issues involving the party at all levels.

The secretariat would be staffed with “adequate and qualified” personnel to take care of all administrative and day-to-day activities in the eight constituencies and 30 divisions in the region.

Horne said his challenge to Peart, who is member of parliament for South Manchester and Speaker of the House of Representatives, was motivated by a desire to build a stronger party unit in Region Five.

Horne, who described himself at Wednesday night’s function as “the prodigal son”, only recently rejoined the PNP, which he left several years ago to join the JLP. He was appointed to the Opposition JLP in 2002 on the recommendation of then Opposition leader Edward Seaga but broke with that party a year ago to become an independent senator.

He recently resigned as senator following his readmission to the PNP.