SANTA CRUZ, St Elizabeth — A delegates’ vote intended to ratify Evon Redman’s candidacy as the ruling People’s National Party’s standard-bearer for St Elizabeth North Eastern in upcoming parliamentary elections will take place on Saturday.

Chairman of the Selection Panel for the ruling People’s National Party’s (PNP) Region Five (St Elizabeth and Manchester) Hopeton McCatty told the Jamaica Observer that the ratification vote will take place at the Santa Cruz Primary and Junior High between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm.

Delegates will be asked to answer “yes” or “no” to whether they want Redman as their representative. McCatty said more than 900 delegates are eligible to vote.

Parliamentary elections become constitutionally due more than a year from now. However, many analysts believe Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller will send Jamaicans to the poll much earlier.

Redman, who formally applied to challenge Member of Parliament Raymond Pryce in April for the right to be the PNP representative in St Elizabeth NE, was left as the only applicant when Pryce withdrew from the contest last week.

The MP’s withdrawal, which was announced by the PNP executive, came after supporters led by former Mayor of Black River Daphne Holmes took the unusual decision to take the PNP to court. This was to highlight alleged flaws and irregularities connected to the delegates’ list and Redman’s eligibility.

There has been considerable tension in St Elizabeth NE over the last five months related to the challenge for leadership of the constituency. The delegates’ vote was repeatedly postponed prior to Pryce’s withdrawal.