SANTA CRUZ, St Elizabeth — Chairman of the Selection Panel for the ruling People’s National Party’s (PNP) Region Five (St Elizabeth and Manchester) Hopeton McCatty says his team is ready for delegate selections of constituency leaders in St Elizabeth North East and St Elizabeth South West this weekend.

Member of Parliament and chairman of the PNP’s St Elizabeth North East constituency organisation Raymond Pryce is being challenged by Santa Cruz businessman and former constituency chairman Evon Redman. Delegates are scheduled to cast their votes at the St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) on Saturday starting at 10:00 am.

In St Elizabeth South West, MP and constituency chairman Hugh Buchanan is being challenged by businessman and former banker Ewan Stephenson. That delegate vote is set for Sunday at the Black River Primary School also at 10:00 am.

It’s expected that winners of the contests will go forward as candidates for the PNP in parliamentary elections which are constitutionally due late next year but which many analysts are predicting will take place within months.

“Everything is in place, we are going full steam ahead,” McCatty told the Jamaica Observer by telephone when asked about arrangements for the scheduled selections.

McCatty’s confident assertion came against the backdrop of rumours circulating this week that the party leadership in Kingston was on the verge of postponing or calling off the contests because of tension between opposing camps in St Elizabeth North East.

In early August the tyres of a car belonging to Redman were slashed during a meeting at PNP headquarters in Kingston and locally there have been reports of minor confrontations between opposing supporters, although the police have reported no major incidents.

Recently, a small group claiming to be supporters of Pryce marched and demonstrated in Santa Cruz.

PNP sources say just over 1,000 delegates are scheduled to vote in St Elizabeth North East, while in St Elizabeth South West about 450 delegates are registered.

Head of the St Elizabeth police, Superintendent Lanford Salmon said the police would be on full alert before, during and after the internal PNP contests.

“We will be making the necessary arrangements to ensure law and order is maintained,” said Salmon.

The police chief said he and his team had been concerned by the tensions especially in St Elizabeth North East and had met with various individuals to ensure calm is maintained.

“We have been in discussions with both sides and have impressed on them the importance of keeping the contests peaceful,” Salmon said.