THE People’s National Party (PNP) has halted the selection process for a new candidate to replace Dr Patrick Harris, the member of parliament for Trelawny North, who will not be seeking re-election in the next general election.

The PNP had set January 15 for ratification of the candidate that the constituency executive should have selected by January 11.

The Observer was told that retired member of parliament Desmond Leaky was asked to lead the process to find a replacement candidate. That process would have included the constituency executive selecting a candidate who would be recommended to the party’s leadership. If accepted, the recommendation would be ratified at that level.

However, PNP insiders said that two days before the January 11 deadline, general secretary Peter Bunting wrote to Leaky instructing that the executive should not make a decision.

Instead, a poll is to be conducted and the person with the highest percentage of votes recommended to the party’s leadership.

When contacted, PNP chairman Robert Pickersgill had very little to say on the matter.

“All I know is that that selection has not been made as there are some glitches,” he said.

The constituency is unrecognised by the party’s standard for failing to have at least 20 functioning groups.

At least eight persons have lined up for possible selection, including former tourism minister Aloun Assamba, who formerly represented St Ann South-East in Parliament. Assamba quit elective politics in 2007.

“She has a national profile. She is a former Cabinet minister in tourism and plus, she is a woman,” a well-placed PNP source said.

The same source told the Observer that last year’s e-mail spat between the independent-minded Damion Crawford, president of the PNP Youth Organisation (PNPYO), and general secretary Bunting had come back to haunt Crawford.

Additionally, Crawford has also been accused of “not being a team player”.

Last February, Crawford had publicly accused Bunting, in an e-mail, of interference in Visions, the University of the West Indies’ branch of the PNPYO.

Crawford is also said to have made enemies in his party as he has come out swinging against parliamentarians in both the PNP and the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) who hold dual citizenship or United States Green Cards. He is said to have accused them of making laws for the majority of the country, while having a ready exit plan.

“The party loves the kind of independence shown by young Crawford. He has a high national profile and is also quite popular inside the party. He is a quick thinker and he does his research, but Damion is seen by some as not being a team player,” the PNP official said.

However, Crawford’s supporters counter the claim, saying that the PNP is nervous about giving him the nod as he is likely to vote against them in the House, “something which he hasn’t promised that he wouldn’t do”.

“Damion is a modern-day politician. Party line is one thing, but the people’s business is more important to him,” said one of his supporters. “It’s the people’s business that is his concern, and today’s politics must see that.”

Repeated attempts to contact Crawford were futile as calls to his cellphone went to voice mail. It is believed that he has strong support from the executive of the party.

Others seeking the nod are Paul Lyn, who failed against the JLP’s Audley Shaw in Manchester North-East; Garth Wilkinson, councillor for the Falmouth division; and former councillor of the Martha Brae Division, Claudette Jackson Richards.

Harris, a two-term MP, polled 10,164 votes to Dennis Meadows’ 8,642 to retain the seat for the PNP in the 2007 general election.

Trelawny North is considered a PNP safe seat. The last time the party lost it in a general election was in 1980 when the JLP’s Keith Russell polled 8,986 votes to beat Leaky, who received 7,864 votes. The JLP also won the seat in 1962.