PNP urges Glenville Shaw to reconsider resignation
MONTEGO BAY, St James – The hierarchy of the ruling People’s National Party (PNP) is urging Glenville Shaw to reconsider his decision not to contest the next general elections, constitutionally due in October.
“We are doing everything to rally the constituency around Mr Shaw,” Donald Buchanan, the party’s general secretary, told the Observer on Thursday.
Shaw, a former Member of Parliament for South West St Ann, last week resigned as the party’s caretaker for the constituency, citing personal persons.
But since his shock resignation, the party’s hierarchy has been working feverishly to convince the former caretaker to withdraw his resignation.
On Tuesday, deputy general secretary Linton Walters and chairman for the party’s Region One Donald Campbell met with party workers in the constituency to discuss “the way forward”.
It is not clear what was the outcome of the meeting, but since then, Campbell has had two meetings with the former caretaker and was expected to have further discussions with him last night.
Shaw could not be reached for a comment yesterday, but Campbell told the Observer that the meetings so far have been favourable.
“The discussions have been very favourable,” Campbell said. “He (Shaw) has not put anything on the table that is not reasonable.”
There have been conflicting reports surrounding the sudden resignation of the former caretaker, who created history in the 1997 general election, when he won the seat to become the first PNP MP for the area. In that election, Shaw defeated the JLP’s Neville Gallimore by 604 votes, but lost the seat to the JLP’s Ernest Smith by just over 1,000 ballots in the 2002 general elections. Despite the defeat, however, he stayed on as the party’s caretaker for the constituency.
Sources said that Shaw resigned shortly after he was severely criticised by some constituency executive members about his stewardship.
According to the members, Shaw was losing support amongst party supporters.
Campbell, however, has denied the charge.
“Mr Shaw was doing exceedingly well in the constituency. In fact, he had exceeded all the set targets,” Campbell said, adding that the party was expecting him to take home the seat.
