John-Paul White yesterday resigned as the People’s National Party (PNP) candidate for Trelawny Northern following a meeting with PNP General Secretary Paul Burke and members of the constituency’s executive.

“I can confirm it; yes, he has stepped down,” PNP campaign spokesman Delano Franklyn told the Jamaica Observer last night, adding that White took the decision of his own volition.

“The party at this time is settled as to who the candidate will be,” he added.

While Franklyn declined to say who the new candidate was, highly placed PNP sources said the replacement was White’s assistant campaign manager, Victor Wright.

White, who replaced sitting Member of Parliament Patrick Atkinson, has been facing mounting opposition from PNP factions within the constituency.

The rumblings deepened Wednesday when the Observer reported that Equilibrio Solutions Jamaica Limited, a company owned by White, had owed the Government $17 million in taxes.

However, White had paid $3 million on Tuesday, leaving approximately $14 million after making a payment arrangement with the tax authorities.

Franklyn, at a PNP press conference Wednesday, defended White’s candidacy, insisting that the party had been satisfied with the arrangements he had made to pay off the figure.

“We have seen documentary evidence of the payment plan agreed upon. We are aware of the payment of the principal sum and we remain assured that our candidate, JP White, will live up to the expectation and the agreement to pay the monthly sum until it is liquidated,” Franklyn said then.

He said White’s situation was not expected to become a public relations nightmare for the party because it was being addressed.

Last night the Observer attempted to make contact with White, but was told by his public relations manager, Londie Murray, that White was “unable to speak at this time”.