SAVANNA-LA-MAR, Westmoreland — Vice- President of the ruling People’s National Party, (PNP) Derrick Kellier, has thrown his support behind incoming chairman of the party’s Region Six, Ian Hayles.

“He (Hayles) has the capacity to take on huge challenges and once again he has now risen to the post of chairman of Region Six… and Comrade Hayles, you can be sure that you have our support,” assured Kellier, who credited the two-time member of parliament for Western Hanover for doing an excellent job in chairing the committee which organised the party’s 75th anniversary celebrations in Region Six two years ago.

Hayles replaces Dr D K Duncan, the member of parliament for Eastern Hanover, who last Thursday withdrew from the chairmanship race, saying that he was not satisfied with the way in which Hayles was conducting his campaign.

Kellier’s endorsement of Hayles’ leadership of Region Six at the region’s annual conference in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland on Sunday, came as a surprise to many, as Kellier, who is also the member of Parliament for South St James, had shown strong support for Duncan’s candidacy.

“We here in South St James, and to those who are here from Hanover and the rest of the parish, Duncan has served us well, and as far as I am concerned, as far as me and my house is concerned, I am ready to keep Duncan in place as the chairman of Region Six until we face the next election,” Kellier had said during his own constituency meeting earlier this month. Region Six comprises the parishes of Westmoreland, Hanover and St James, where there are 10 constituencies.

Hayles, in his acceptance speech, told the meeting that there was much work to be done in the region. Noting that the PNP won eight of 10 seats in the 2011 general elections, he promised to make a clean sweep of the region in the upcoming parliamentary polls.

— Anthony Lewis