ST ELIZABETH, Jamaica — People’s National Party (PNP) officials said the selection exercise at the St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) to determine the party’s standard bearer for St Elizabeth North Eastern was going smoothly Sunday afternoon.

“We have no issues at all” Director of Elections, PNP General Secretary Julian Robinson said at shortly after 2:00pm.

Deputy General Secretary Basil Waite and Councillor for the Balaclava Division, Everton Fisher are up for selection. Some 1100 delegates are registered to vote, though observers say death, migration and other factors will have significantly reduced that number.

Robinson estimated that in early afternoon about half the registered delegates had voted.

Voting, which begun at 10:00am, will close at 4:00 pm with counting expected to be completed by 5:00 pm.

The delegates’ selection follows incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) Evon Redman’s decision not to seek a second term.

Comrades, most in their distinctive orange shirts, massed in two camps close to the STETHS gate Sunday.