KINGSTON Jamaica – The People’s National Party (PNP) noting the nomination of former party member Derrick Lambert in the South East Clarendon by-election, says that Lambert, who ran on a PNP ticket in that constituency in 2011, is not a representative of the party and the decision not to participate in the by-election remains.

PNP General Secretary, Julian Robinson, in a statement a short while ago, reiterated that the party’s decision is firm on the grounds that the by-election is occasioned by political exigencies within the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and that the people of Jamaica should not be called upon to foot the bill amounting to near $30 million to pay for a contrived poll, when general elections, expecting to cost over one billion dollars, are due within months.

“The PNP is not contesting this by-election exercise and has not nominated any candidate. The party will continue to intensify its preparation for general elections,” Robinson said.

“The party respects the right of the people of South East Clarendon to have Parliamentary representation, but has no intention of following the JLP into this unnecessary and wasteful political exercise which will be a carnival of spending state resources, as were the cases in the two previous by elections,” Robinson added.