KINGSTON, Jamaica — Peter Bunting’s claim that he had been asked by the officers of the People’s National Party (PNP) to delay his bid for the presidency has been debunked by General Secretary Paul Burke.

Bunting, who had earlier signalled his intention to challenge PNP President Portia Simpson Miller, told his Manchester Central constituency conference Sunday night that he would not be seeking nomination for the post at this year’s annual conference scheduled for September.

Read: No PNP leadership challenge from Bunting

“Comrades, I want to make it clear that I am not intending to nominate for any presidency in September,” said Bunting. “The officers of the party have asked potential aspirants for president to not consider a September conference challenge, to avoid internal elections coinciding with or distracting from [the] Local Government Elections campaign. They don’t have to ask me that twice. I am a party man; I understand that completely.” 

But this morning, Burke said the party offices made no such request.

“Let me categorically state that the national officers have not asked Comrade Peter Bunting to decline or not to offer himself as a candidate for party president,” Burke said in a statement.

“While many will be happy with Comrade Bunting’s decision, this information is not correct as the officers took no such decision or made any such request. It is correct that Chairman Robert Pickersgill indicated at the national officers meeting of Monday, 4th July, 2016, that he would wish to know if there would be a contest for the position of party president and took it upon himself to check and verify with the ‘could be’ aspirants of their interest / intent in offering themselves as candidates. The party chairman may have also taken it upon himself to have expressed his position and /or preference on the matter and can therefore speak for himself on that matter,” Burke said.