SAVANNA-LA-MAR, Westmoreland – People’s National Party (PNP) caretaker for Central Westmoreland, Paul Buchanan – who is likely to be replaced by Cabinet Minister Roger Clarke as the party’s representative in the constituency – says based on the results of recent poll findings, the party’s justification to have him sacked is unfounded.

“My approval rating in the constituency is on the increase and I am leading in the polls against Roger Clarke. So how can they impose Roger Clarke when I am leading him…?” Buchanan asked.

Last week, news broke that Buchanan, who fought off three contenders in September to emerge as the party’s caretaker for the constituency, would not be among the party’s list of candidates to contest the upcoming general election, constitutionally due next year.

Since then, there has been growing discontent in the constituency among some party supporters, many of whom have vowed not to support Clarke, a confidant of PNP president Portia Simpson Miller.

The hierarchy of the party, which intends to announce its list of candidates on November 26 at the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, had argued that Buchanan could not win the seat against the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) candidate Russell Hammond.

But as the level of discontentment in the constituency escalated, the party sought to explain the reasons why several of its selectees are to be replaced. On Tuesday, representatives from the Bill Johnson Poll Team revealed to delegates at a meeting in the constituency the findings of a survey conducted in the constituency last month.

According to Buchanan, who attended the meeting, the findings showed that he was two percentage points ahead of Clarke.

“I was led to believe that the poll showed unmistakably that I could not win the seat and that Roger Clarke was ahead of me,” said Buchanan. “I was told too, by the party, that on the basis of the poll numbers, that they have to go with Roger. But last night (Tuesday), the numbers clearly showed that in absolute numbers, I was ahead.”

Arguing that he has not been actively campaigning in the constituency, Buchanan said that he was encouraged by the findings of the survey, which showed that his approval rating jumped by 12 percentage points in one month.

The October poll showed that 34 per cent of the respondents favoured Buchanan as their candidate, while 32 per cent favoured Clarke.

Buchanan has been working in the constituency for almost four months, following incumbent MP Karl Blythe’s announcement that he would not contest the seat in the next general election.

Buchanan had consistently maintained that several private polls conducted in the constituency have shown him in a “favourable” position.

The Central Westmoreland constituency, which has been represented by Blythe since 1989, is said to be a safe PNP seat.

However, in recent months political pundits have been arguing that Hammond, a former JLP MP for the constituency, has been making inroads there.

cummingsm@jamaicaobserver.com