There are no clear signs yet that a by-election will be held in the constituency of East Rural St Andrew, but Jamaica’s two major political parties are putting energy into the process, so that they may not be caught off guard.

Unlike the drawn-out haggles over dual citizenship that have so far seen three by-elections, two of them contested by the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP), the looming battle in East Rural St Andrew is fuelled by speculation that all is not well with the status of incumbent member of parliament Joseph Hibbert.

Hibbert resigned as minister of state for transport and works on July 14, and his recent illness, said to be heart-related, has added credence to the view that he might not last the remaining maximum three years before a general election becomes mandatory.

Hibbert was implicated in a probe by British bridge-building firm Mabey and Johnson, which pleaded guilty in a UK court to bribing public officials in countries that it does business, including Jamaica, Ghana and Iraq.

Although Hibbert denied that he accepted a bribe from company officials while he served as chief technical director in the transport and works ministry during the previous PJ Patterson administration, he still quit.

“In view of the allegation s of bribery of Jamaican Government officials made in the UK courts by the British firm Mabey and Johnson Limited, in which I am implicated, I have today decided to submit my resignation as minister of state in the Ministry of Transport and Works to the honourable prime minister,” read Hibbert’s July 14 letter to Prime Minister Bruce Golding.

“This resignation will allow me the time and freedom to clear my name and my integrity as former chief technical director in the Ministry of Transport and Works during the 1990s to which the allegations refer,” Hibbert wrote.

An ongoing probe by the contractor general to determine whether or not criminal charges could be laid under the Corruption Prevention Act, is also in the works.

“Anything could happen with the findings of the contractor general and the party will not want to be faced with an embarrassing situation if, in the final analysis, the report which is expected soon, is not complimentary to Hibbert,” said one official of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP ) on condition of anonymity.

Now the parties are leaving nothing to chance and are quietly looking at persons to fly their flags in the constituency, regarded as a swing seat.

Information reaching the Sunday Observer is that three names apiece, on both sides of the political divide, have emerged as possible candidates.

On the JLP side, the names of mayor of Kingston Desmond McKenzie, state minister for foreign affairs and foreign trade Dr Ronald Robinson and businessman Ian Murray, have been placed on the table for consideration.

However, an obviously angry McKenzie dismissed the suggestion that he could be in the reckoning for the seat.

“What kind of question is that? That is ridiculous . nothing like that. There is no vacancy,” McKenzie said.

JLP executive Andre Franklyn told this newspaper that he was unaware of the possible new developments.

“As far as I know, no one has applied to serve the party in the constituency and I have had no indication that Mr Hibbert is not seeking re-election,” Franklyn said.

Dr Robinson was originally tipped to represent the JLP in the constituency in the 2007 election, but pulled out of the race.

Dr Robinson was said to be at a Diaspora conference in Britain and could not be reached for a response.

Murray chairs Area Council Four, which comprises the parishes of St James, Westmoreland, St Elizabeth, Hanover and Trelawny.

Murray did not respond to a call from the Sunday Observer seeking to confirm his level of interest in the seat. He was appointed to the Senate after the 2007 general election, but gave it up to allow for the appointment of Col Trevor MacMillan to the Upper House in order to allow MacMillan to be named minister of national security. MacMillan was relieved of that post by Golding earlier this year.

Both Robinson and Murray are executives of Generation 2000, the young professionals arm of the JLP.

On the PNP side, the two original candidates were St Ann businessman Andrew Willis and music specialist Peter Blake who is from Eastern St Andrew. They have been working in the constituency over the last two years and have now been joined by real estate developer and political economist Paul Buchanan.

Buchanan, a past Jamaica cricketer, is the former technical director of the Micro Investment Development Agency and headed the previous Government’s Operation Pride programme, which assisted in the regularisation of squatters and provided land and houses to those in need.

It is understood that Willis has the backing of general secretary Peter Bunting and a faction that includes member of parliament for South East St Ann Lisa Hanna and South East St Elizabeth candidate Dick Parchment.

However, word reaching the Sunday Observer is that other members of the party’s top brass, including president Portia Simpson Miller, have given Buchanan full support, as Willis and Blake are seen as weak candidates who may not take the party home in an election. It was on that basis that Buchanan was invited by senior operatives to represent the party in the event of a by-election or later in a general election.

Buchanan, who openly backed Peter Phillips in two bruising party presidential elections, was initially selected as the party’s candidate for Central Westmoreland in the 2007 general election, but was replaced by Simpson Miller loyalist Roger Clarke at the last minute. Clarke previously served as MP for North East St Elizabeth, but gave up that seat to the embattled Kern Spencer, having earlier announced his intention to quit elective politics.

The others have not represented the party in an election before.

“Portia is working hard to bridge the gap between the faction that supports her and the Peter Phillips faction,” one high-ranking official said.

“The party believes that the Government is drawing too many bad cards and cannot manage the economy, so the PNP is gearing up for anything that could come its way,” the official said.

Party chairman Robert Pickersgill confirmed to the Sunday Observer that the three were interested in representing the PNP in the constituency, but said that no final decision had been made.

“The matter of electing a candidate or chairman for the constituency is to take place soon,” Pickersgill said.

“A date for the selection has not been settled, but I can tell you that there is heightened interest in the constituency with all that has been going on,” said Pickersgill, adding that it was unlikely that the selection would be held before the start of the party’s annual conference later this week.

Buchanan did not respond to messages left for him, while Willis, said to be a close supporter of Simpson Miller and Blake, could not be reached for comment.

Hibbert beat the PNP’s Mikael Phillips by a narrow 270-vote margin in a seat that was created in 1959 and won seven times by the PNP to four by the JLP in contested elections.

In 2007, Hibbert polled 8,315 votes to 8,045 for Phillips, as 60.9 per cent of the 27,142 electors voted.

The constituency has five parish council (Kingston & St Andrew Corporation) divisions: Gordon Town, Mavis Bank, Dallas, Kintyre, all controlled by the JLP, and Harbour View held by the PNP’s H Oliver Clue, a two-term MP for the constituency.