FALMOUTH, Trelawny — AFTER weeks of sporadic protests, oftentimes fiery, against the candidacy of civil engineer John Paul “JP” White, Comrades in the Trelawny Northern constituency are now said to be coalescing around the party’s new standard-bearer in the area.

“Things are now looking up for White,” People’s National Party (PNP) parish manager for Trelawny, Donald “Mark” Campbell, told the Jamaica Observer West yesterday.

“It kind of settled down…… and they (Comrades) have accepted that ‘JP’ is the candidate, and most persons have expressed their desire to work with him for the success of the party, and for the continued development of the country. Every day I am seeing people who are coming on board.”

Almost a month ago, the PNP hierarchy introduced White as a replacement for incumbent Member of Parliament for Trelawny Northern, Patrick Atkinson — in the upcoming general elections — at a meeting with the constituency executive and other stakeholders, at Martha Brae, in the parish.

That meeting however, descended into chaos, after the decision was announced by the party’s deputy general secretaries Julian Robinson and Wensworth Skeffrey, as angry party supporters claiming to be loyal to Atkinson, stormed the meeting and chanted: “We don’t want John Paul White; No Atkinson, no vote!”

They claimed that White would not be able to retain the seat for the PNP.

Days after the chaotic meeting, the disgruntled Comrades staged demonstrations in several sections of the constituency against the decision, and burned ‘T’ shirts bearing the images of White and PNP leader Portia Simpson Miller.

And last week, intent on having White removed as their representative in the constituency, several bus-loads of PNP supporters journeyed to the party’s headquarters in Kingston to voice their concerns.

There they argued that if Atkinson cannot remain as their candidate, then the party should consider installing MP for St Andrew East Rural, Damion Crawford.

The hierarchy of the party, however, insisted that White, who unsuccessfully ran against the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP’s) Delroy Chuck in the St Andrew North Eastern seat during the December 2011 general election, would not be replaced.

Yesterday, Campbell, who is highly regarded by Comrades in the constituency for his non-confrontational but firm mannerisms, told the Observer West that there has seen no fallout in the PNP’s Trelawny Northern camp, arising out of the party’s choice of candidate.

He predicted that the JLP’s candidate, Dennis Meadows, who unsuccessfully contested the seat in the last two general elections, will fail for the third straight time, in his bid to secure a win.

“I feel quite sure that Mr Meadows is well placed to receive his third consecutive beating in Trelawny North.

We are confident, our workers are in place, all levels of workers, and we are getting it right,” the unassuming Campbell remarked.

He noted that no Comrades have jumped ship.

“None is telling you they are going elsewhere because they realise it is the People’s National Party that is a party of growth and development and that is where their head space is,” Campbell said.

In fact, he expressed satisfaction that despite the initial unwillingness to accept White, the PNP’s support is comfortably ahead of the JLP in the constituency.

“We feel satisfied with what we are seeing and we are now embarking on a special canvass, but so far we are quite satisfied with what we have seen. I haven’t spotted any visible fallout from the selection. Even those who were very, very upset, they remain firm Comrades,” Campbell said.

White, who has been working in the constituency for roughly eight months, said yesterday, that over the past few weeks he has been meeting with several persons who are against his candidacy.

The meetings, he stressed, have been fruitful.

“I have been going on my own to find the people who were involved in the protests to sit with them and talk to them, and when I sit down with them and talk to them, I can see the change in their thinking, so I am very encouraged,” White explained, stressing that “we can’t leave anybody behind.”

In the December 2011 general election Atkinson, who lost two parliamentary seats on the JLP’s ticket before joining the PNP, defeated the JLP’s Dennis Meadows by 2,321 votes.

White said he intends to increase the margin of victory in the constituency for his party, whenever the polls are held.