Officials of the ruling People’s National Party (PNP) went to South-East St Ann yesterday in an effort to soothe anger in the constituency over the party’s choice of former Miss World Lisa Hanna to contest the seat in the upcoming general election.

A high delegation including deputy campaign director Paul Burke, vice presidents Derrick Kellier and Angella Brown-Burke, constituency chairman Clive Fagan and Region Three chairman Philip Paulwell, met with residents in Claremont to try and resolve the dispute.

“It was a meeting that allowed and encouraged members to express themselves. The majority wanted questions answered, we were as straightforward as we could,” Burke told the Observer last night.

“I’m not saying they were not concerned, but at the end of the process I believe we reached an understanding,” he added.

Burke, however stressed that no one has been confirmed as candidate for the constituency and hinted that this would be done after the party’s executive meeting next Monday.

“I’m not confirming any individual as candidate, let me make that abundantly clear,” Burke said. At this time the party has discussed the candidature with the constituency committee (at last Monday’s meeting). We will go forward to the party’s executive meeting on Monday night after which a statement will be issued,” Burke said.

Yesterday’s meeting followed a strong endorsement of Hanna by PNP general-secretary Donald Buchanan at a campaign rally in Junction, SE St Elizabeth on Wednesday night.

“We don’t know at this point in time that the final decision is going to be any particular person,” Buchanan told thousands of party supporters. “What we do know is that Comrade Lisa Hannah is an eminently qualified person to represent the people of South-East St Ann and to be a candidate for the People’s National Party. We know that because already she has demonstrated an extraordinary capacity to work on behalf of her fellow Jamaicans at all levels.”

“As a student leader she was outstanding, as a representative on the world stage she has been outstanding, and in her engagement and interaction with people at the community level she has been outstanding. She has the brains, the beauty, the personality and we believe that somebody like Lisa Hannah has a place in the political landscape and the political process of Jamaica..,” Buchanan told cheering supporters, prior to an address by Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller. The latter, who is party president, made no mention of SE St Ann or of Hanna in her presentation.

Buchanan made it clear that once the party makes its final decision following a “final round of consultation and engagement with the constituency” this week, it would entertain no more internal opposition on the issue.

“Once that decision is made, any member of the PNP who then chooses to oppose that candidate is going to be in breach of party discipline and will be treated accordingly. There can be no dissidents at this time,” said Buchanan.

The PNP organisation in SE St Ann – a seat that has never been lost by the PNP in a contested election – has been in turmoil for several months following the withdrawal as candidate of sitting MP Aloun Assamba under pressure from PNP workers and supporters in the constituency.