KINGSTON, Jamaica — People’s National Party (PNP) Member of Parliament for St James Central Lloyd B Smith has withdrawn from the selection to decide the party’s candidate in the next general election.

Earlier this month, Smith was not reaffirmed as chairman of the constituency by delegates of the party. He received 36 votes of confirmation, while 66 voted against.

However, shortly after the results were made public at the Barracks Road Primary School, where the poll took place, Smith raised his objection to the voting process which he described as a “travesty of democracy”.

PNP General Secretary Paul Burke told OBSERVER ONLINE a short while ago that Smith has written to the party, indicating that he would not be seeking re-election to represent the party in the next general election.

“He wrote the party a very amicable letter indicating that he was withdrawing and thanked the party for the opportunity to serve as member of parliament and deputy speaker of the House and pledged to give his support to the party going forward,” Burke said.

Burke said Smith did not indicate in the letter why he was withdrawing from the contest but OBSERVER ONLINE understands that Smith felt “it was in the best interest of the party” that he did.

Attorney-at-law Ashley Ann Foster, a former member of the Jamaica Labour Party’s professional arm, Generation 2000, and Henry McCurdy will now vie to represent the party in the constituency in the next general election, which is constitutionally due by December 2016.