Portia Simpson Miller yesterday signalled that she was near to calling general elections, telling the National Executive Council (NEC) of her ruling People’s National Party (PNP) that “the time is drawing nigh”.

Party executives who spoke with the Press at a briefing after the NEC meeting at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston, were equally circumspect.

Chairman Robert Pickersgill would only concede that he did not anticipate “any extraordinary circumstances” delaying the poll beyond October, by when it is constitutionally due.

However, the party has confirmed a number of new strategies, including the second phase of its campaign programme which kicked off over the week-end and which it wants fully implemented prior to the announcement of the date.

On Saturday, party spokesman Senator Colin Campbell said that this second phase of the campaign period would focus on the parishes and sub-regions, unlike the first phase which targeted the six political regions.

The strategy is understood to also include the targeting of selected constituencies represented by some of the leadership of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), including Audley Shaw’s North-East Manchester, Karl Samuda’s North-Central St Andrew and Derrick Smith’s North-West St Andrew.

In addition, the director of the party’s general election campaign, Dr Paul Robertson, indicated that he is not totally convinced by current public opinion polls showing the PNP ahead of the JLP. He said that he is “cautiously confident” about winning.

“I am never comfortable about an election, because until you have counted every last ballot you can’t be sure,” Robertson said in response to questions from journalists. “But I am very confident. I am cautiously confident that we are going to win.”

He said that the party is putting in place a “sound campaign organisational plan” and, he believes that, if it is implemented properly, it will win the election.

However, he said that he would not predict how many seats the PNP is likely to win.

“As we get closer to the date, I might be able to say something to you on that,” he said.

Robertson said that the party has done 56 polls, and he is very encouraged by the results. However, he explained that the 56 included multiple polls done in some constituencies and not 56 separate surveys.

He said that the party was encouraged by the second poll done in some constituencies which suggested that it was “gathering momentum”.

Explaining the need to do additional polls in some constituencies, he said that the party needed to be aware of the changing situations.

“Polls are a snapshot at a particular point in time and, therefore, as things change, as you enter into the campaign, you may wish to go back and check how the progress has gone,” he said, adding that it was fair to say that on the basis of the second poll, the party was “gathering momentum” in those constituencies.

He said that the PNP has done three national polls, the last one in May. He was not sure if any more would be done prior to the elections.

According to Pickersgill, in addition to the speeches on Saturday, the 60 candidates and their campaign managers were supplied with tons of literature for the hustings.

“They were provided with all kinds and types of literature. I think it is now fair to say no candidate can say that relevant and appropriate literature has not been distributed,” he said.

He added that each candidate was asked to fill out a form indicating the readiness of his/her constituency.