GENERAL Secretary of the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Dr Horace Chang says he’s confident about the chances of the party at the next general election, widely expected early this year.

“Whether it is now or November, we are ready and we will win,” Dr Chang said in reasponse to a question from the

Jamaica Observer Monday, shortly after addressing the issues at a press briefing at the JLP’s Belmont Road headquarters in Kingston.

He said that the party has a programme of activities which will be fully funded and should ensure its victory at the polls.

Dr Chang said that there is no foreseeable change to the list of 63 candidates made public at its last pre-Christmas activity, which was a gospel rally in Old Harbour in December. But he conceded that there could be ‘unexpected developments’.

The JLP general secretary said he had no knowledge of the legal challenge to the replacement of Councillor Devon Wint (Point Hill) by Senator Christopher Tufton, as the party’s candidate for West Central St Catherine, which the

Sunday Observer reported this week.

“I am not aware of any legal challenge. Quite frankly, I am aware of the

Observer article. I haven’t had a chance to read it, unfortunately, but I know of no legal challenges to this situation and I don’t expect any. I don’t expect any challenge that might pose any significant problem for the party at this point in time in that constituency,” he told the briefing.

Both Dr Chang and information spokesperson Olivia “Babsy” Grange insisted that the party had not been advised about Councillor Wint’s alleged threat to hire People’s National Party (PNP) Senator KD Knight to legally challenge his replacement as the candidate for West Central St Catherine, currently represented by the ailing Dr Kenneth Baugh who is not seeking re-election.

Opposition Leader Andrew Holness commented that in taking the action against Wint the party ensured that it followed every legal requirement for his removal.

“What I would say is that the party made sure, in this process, that it followed the rules. And we did so religiously, in ensuring that the legal process and our constitutional process were adhered to and perfected,” Holness said.

Dr Chang, meanwhile, said that with the selection of its candidates out of the way the JLP is refocusing on basic election campaigning, following the Christmas break, and that a number of activities will be announced soon.

“We didn’t stop working, or stopped campaigning but, naturally, during the festive season the activities of our members are different, including visits to institutions like the Bustamante Hospital for Children by the leader of the Opposition and his wife. And similar things were done by the candidates within their constituencies,” he stated.

“In terms of the new year, the party had a meeting of its 63 constituencies yesterday (Sunday at Jamaica Conference Centre). We have since refocused our leadership once more on what is required to maintain our election readiness. That’s where we are now,” he said Monday.

“We are not setting the date. Our actions may help to determine the date, but we don’t set the date. That’s ultimately and clearly the responsibility of the prime minister of the country. What we are doing is ensuring that our party, as an institution, is ready for the election whenever it is called, and we are confident that we are ready and that we will win,” he said.

Chang admitted that unforeseen developments could trigger changes to any list, for example, if a candidate “moves out or moves on”. However, he said the JLP sees its current list of candidates as final.

“I don’t have the powers of the Almighty. If one moves out or moves on, we will have to make changes. But at this point in time we have 63 candidates and that’s who we are working with,” he added.

“Bear in mind that the candidate is the flagbearer in the constituency. What we are concerned with, as a party, is that the institution and the structure of the party in each constituency is functioning and operating at the level that we are ready for an election and, therefore, any candidate change at this point, for any reason, would be incidental to the party’s activities,” he said.