NEGRIL, Westmoreland – People’s National Party (PNP) president, Portia Simpson Miller is expected to name the party’s eight senators and portfolio spokespersons by the end of this week, as she moves into local government election mode.

“I am expecting that during the course of this week the party president will announce her list of spokespersons and appoint senators,” said general secretary of the PNP, Donald Buchanan, following the party’s first National Executive Council (NEC) meeting since its defeat in the September 3 general elections.

Addressing scores of NEC members at the Negril Hills Golf Club in Westmoreland yesterday, Simpson Miller said she would be playing a leading role in the upcoming campaign for the local government elections.

“I understand that they want to call local government elections soon so you must be prepared because I am ready and I hope you are ready too… I will be out there on the ground and I will be taking more responsibility in terms of the management of the campaign,” she said.

The governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has not yet said when the local government polls – due by December this year – will be held but some political observers believe that it might take place within the next 10 weeks.