COOPERS PEN, Trelawny – Two tyres on the VW Amarok pickup truck driven by John Paul White, the People’s National Party (PNP) caretaker for the Trelawny Northern constituency, were slashed by fellow comrades opposed to his candidacy as he attended the handover ceremony of the recently upgraded Burwood Beach, yesterday.

Before the flattened tyres were discovered on the vehicle in the car park adjoining the beach, about a dozen PNP activists heckled White whenever his name was mentioned. On the other hand, they engaged in strong shouts of endorsements for sitting Member of Parliament Patrick Atkinson who was also present at the function.

Yesterday, the embattled White, who refused to comment on the situation, rushed from the scene and headed towards Falmouth Police Station where he said he was going to lodge a formal complaint.

But, minutes after five last evening head of the Trelawny Police Division Superintendent Clive Blair said White had not yet made a formal complaint “but was advised to”.

White’s selection by the party as caretaker in what has been dubbed a PNP safe seat has been met with strong opposition in some quarters and has triggered a number of demonstrations throughout the constituency by comrades clamouring for Atkinson to remain as their political representative.

White was defeated by the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP’s) Delroy Chuck in St Andrew North Eastern constituency during the last general election. He will be going up against the JLP’s Dennis Meadows, who was also in attendance at yesterday’s handover ceremony.

Meanwhile, Minister of Tourism and Entertainment Dr Wykeham McNeill who was addressing the audience at the ceremony said Burwood Beach was the first to be handed over in the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) Beach Programme.

“Two years ago I announced this programme in Parliament and what I indicated was we are going across the length and breadth of Jamaica and we are looking for the best beaches that are available. Some of the beaches are owned by the public agencies…Others are privately held, but the fact is wherever we can identify beaches that we feel are beaches that would be best kept in the public interest, we are going to acquire those beaches, put the proper infrastructure into those beaches to ensure that they have all the amenities,” Dr McNeill said.

He noted that work has already started on 16 of the 30 beaches identified for the programme.

“The Tourism Enhancement Fund has committed $250 million to this beach programme so it is a major initiative because it is our feeling that this is a priority of the Ministry of Tourism.”

South Trelawny MP Marisa Dalrymple Philibert, Custos of Trelawny Paul Muschett, Mayor of Falmouth Garth Wilkinson, several councillors from the Trelawny Parish Council and representatives from several Government agencies were also in attendance at yesterday’s event.