FALMOUTH, Trelawny – The leadership of the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) is to meet today to select interim chairman for the party’s Region 1 and the Trelawny Northern constituency, following the sudden resignation of former Member of Parliament (MP) Victor Wright.

“Yes, former MP Victor Wright has resigned and we are currently taking steps to deal with both the regional and constituency matters. There is a meeting on Thursday of this week during which we will first deal with the region and then the constituency,” newly minted PNP General Secretary Dr Dayton Campbell told the Jamaica Observer West on Tuesday.

Wright, a one-time parliamentarian, was defeated in the September 3 General Election by the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) candidate Tova Hamilton by more than 1,800 votes.

He had also occupied the post of chairman for Region 1, which covers the parishes of St Ann and Trelawny, up to the end of last month, when he relinquished both positions.

On Tuesday, the party’s general secretary thanked Wright for his service to the PNP and wished him all the best in his future endeavors.

Several attempts to reach Wright for a comment proved futile as calls to his cellular phone went unanswered and he did not respond to a text message sent to the device.

Hamilton’s victory in the September parliamentary elections ended the PNP’s 31-year reign in the constituency.

The PNP has been in control of the seat since 1989 when Desmond Leaky, the party’s candidate at that time, defeated the JLP’s Keith Russell.

Leading up to the most recent general election, Wright lost two key party workers who were disenchanted with his stewardship of the constituency and deflected to the JLP.

The former MP was also embroiled in a dispute with Sugar Company of Jamaica (SCJ) Holdings shortly before the polls.

The SCJ was unwavering that Wright owes it just over $3.6 million in rent and for electricity, but the then parliamentarian was adamant that he had paid his bills.

Ironically, ahead of the 2016 General Election, the Trelawny native was campaign manager for the PNP’s JP Whyte, whose candidacy for the seat had to be withdrawn after he was slapped with a payment demand notice by the Tax Administration Jamaica for $17 million in taxes, which it said was owed by Whyte’s civil engineering company, Equilibrio Jamaica Limited.

Wright was consequently announced as the candidate to replace Whyte by the then Portia Simpson Miller-led PNP. He went on to defeat the JLP’s Dennis Meadows by a margin of just over 400 votes.

Yesterday, PNP vice-chairman of the constituency in charge of elections, Colin Campbell, who disclosed that Wright “wants to move on and develop his personal business acumen”, described the former MP as the most outstanding parliamentarian the parish has been blessed with since Leaky.

“To me, Victor was the best MP we have ever had in this constituency. But there were many persons who did not feel that way…wouldn’t think that way either. Victor was a good man. He was a good man, I’m telling you the truth, no joke about it. It is just that some people didn’t like what he did or whatever he did. There were some people who didn’t give him the support that he needed. But to me, Victor was the best MP ever to come to North Trelawny. I don’t see anybody else and I have worked with all of them as constituency secretary. I am not the constituency secretary now, but I have worked with all of them since Desmond Leaky,” stated the veteran Trelawny Northern politician.

“I see Victor as a man with vision. Victor knows exactly what he wants for his constituency. Victor was stifled by the [JLP] Government and one of our biggest downfalls was the Wakefield main road.”

During an interview with the Jamaica Observer prior to the last election, Wright lamented that his stout representation to the Andrew Holness-led Administration for the rehabilitation of the Falmouth to Spring Vale road, which passes through Wakefield, fell on deaf ears.

At the time, he listed educational programmes, sponsorship of agricultural, sporting and other social activities, and road repairs among his major achievements during his four-year stewardship of the constituency.

“One of the most significant ones that I am proud of is the contribution I have made to the education of youths and also adults in the constituency. This is manifested by innovative programmes, such as our adult reading programme where we teach adults to read in the privacy of their homes.

“We had our CSEC [Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate] classes, where we paid for four or more subjects for anyone who wants to take it, and I am happy to say that this class is oversubscribed. Children are now able to do their exams; this is our second year running. We also have a skills training programme to train the students in 10 skills,” he said, adding that the programmes are ongoing and are funded significantly by the Constituency Development Fund, 30 to 35 per cent of which, he said, he has dedicated toward the programmes annually.