FALMOUTH, Trelawny — Executives of the PNP North Trelawny constituency have mandated two party stalwarts to find a suitable candidate to replace the sitting Member of Parliament for North Trelawny, Dr Patrick Harris.

The latter has decided against seeking re-election in the next general elections.

Former parliamentarian Desmond Leaky and chairman of the PNP Region One, Donald Mark Campbell are the two elite members tasked with overseeing the selection process. They have been instructed to extend their search outside the constituency, if they fail to find a suitable replacement within the constituency for Dr Harris, who is the chairman of the constituency executive.

“The first thing the executive said to us is the search must be done within the constituency first and we must do an exhaustive search there before we look outside. So they are actually looking for someone within the constituency,” Campbell told the Observer West.

But, so far two of the four persons to throw their hats in the ring — chairman of the Peoples National Party Youth Organisation (PNPYO) Damion Crawford and Paul Lyn, who unsuccessfully contested the North East Manchester seat in the last elections, losing to the JLP’s Audley Shaw–are from outside the constituency. Garth Wilkinson, PNP councillor of the Falmouth Division and Claudette Rickards, former PNP councillor for the Martha Brae Division are the other confirmed aspirants.

A party insider who asked not to be named said some ‘comrades’ in the constituency were seeking to woo Devere Nugent, pastor of the Falmouth William Knibb Memorial Baptist Church to fill the breach to be left by Harris.

But Campbell could not confirm this claim.

Former cabinet Minister and PNP member of Parliament for South East St Ann Aloun Assamba and two other natives of Trelawny, Kacia Johnson, former Festival Queen and surveyor Grantley Kindness, are other names being touted as suitable replacements.

Campbell said the deadline for application has been extended to the end of December, from the initial December 10, cut off date.

During a telephone interview with the Observer West yesterday, Crawford said that he was well received in the constituency during recent visits.

“Jamaica is too small to call anyone an outsider. I have visited (the constituency) a couple times and I feel welcomed. I have not been over-reading the welcome but I think that I am a sufficient candidate,” Crawford said.

But up to yesterday, the executive of the PNP North Trelawny constituency was not in receipt of Crawford’s application.

” We haven’t seen his application but we have seen activities by him — he has visited,” Campbell disclosed.

He added ” The last time I checked, Damion (Crawford) said he would send his (application) electronically, but it has not come …”.

Crawford, however claimed he has applied ” directly to the party” and “I am coming down today (yesterday) to hand-deliver one to the constituency as well”.

Dr Harris who won the North Trelawny seat for the second consecutive time in the last general elections by defeating Senator Dennis Meadows recently announced to the constituency executive his intention of bowing out of representational politics. He has subsequently written to the party secretariat stating his intent.