KINGSTON, Jamaica — The internal conflict rocking the ruling People’s National Party (PNP) intensified Friday, when Councillor Venesha Phillips scolded embattled parliamentarian Raymond Pryce on social media, after an injunction was secured barring the party from holding a conference to select a candidate in St Elizabeth North Eastern.

A judge on Friday barred the party from holding the conference to select any person as candidate to run as member of Parliament for the constituency, after former Mayor of Black River Daphne Holmes, a supporter of Pryce, secured the injunction in the Supreme Court.

However, Phillips took to Facebook reprimanding Pryce, telling the MP that if the reports are true, there is no forgiveness for the “party’s business” reaching the courts.

Pryce is being challenged by businessman Evon Redman for the constituency candidacy.

Phillips, who represents the August Town Division in the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation, said: “If this is true, (referring to a media report that the party is being taken to court over the selection process), then this is a different ball game all together.”

“Our RM (Resident Magistrate) court is called REC/RMC. Our supreme court is called NEC (National Executive Council) and party executive and our court of appeal is party national conference,” the councillor charged. “Suh unuh labourite traits weh unuh pick up fi come carry PNP business to courthouse… will not work here.”

She went on to say that challenges are a part of “our process and history”, emphasising that former Prime Minister and party leader PJ Patterson as well as current party leader Portia Simpson Miller were both challenged.

“Portia Simpson Miller was challenged and as bitter as that race was, we never took our business to courthouse. As bad as things be, Lisa Hanna neva try that…” Phillips fumed. “We battled it out and when Peter Phillips lost, him hold him space like a real comrade.”

The August Town Division councillor also asserted that the party owes those associated with taking the matter to court nothing, and that the matter has now gone beyond the St Elizabeth North Eastern constituency “because PNP belong to all a we”.

She asserted that Omar Davies, who has no challengers, is set to face his delegates on Sunday, so those in St Elizabeth should do the same and “let your record exonerate you”.

The obviously upset Phillips said that having party matters play out in the media may be good and bad, but by deciding to take a party matter to court, that equated to them taking on more than the delegates of the St Elizabeth North Eastern constituency.

She ended her rant by saying she hoped the report of the injunction was “media mischief”, but if it isn’t, “it will be a different ball game because nuh forgiveness nuh deh fi dis”.