Sandrea Falconer and Lambert Brown yesterday denied that they were involved in talks within the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) to arrive at a timetable for party president Portia Simpson Miller to leave office.

“At no time were we part of any talks, secret or otherwise, with any member or members of Dr Peter Phillips’ team,” Falconer and Brown said in a joint statement responding to the story carried in the Sunday Observer.

The Sunday Observer had reported that secret talks had been ongoing between people close to Simpson Miller, including Falconer and Brown, and others who were said to be a part of the group touting an alliance between factions loyal to Simpson Miller and Dr Peter Phillips.

However, Simpson Miller, at the party’s National Executive Council meeting two Sundays ago, told members that she would be offering herself for re-election at the PNP annual conference in September.

That decision has sparked fresh controversy in the party, which has continued to bleed from its narrow general election loss to the Jamaica Labour Party in February this year.

Simpson Miller’s stance has also kept the spotlight on Peter Bunting, who has signalled his intention to contest the leadership at the conference.

Yesterday, Falconer and Brown, who are both close confidants of Simpson Miller, said they were “even more outraged” that no effort was made by the Sunday Observer to contact them to verify the information.