SANTA CRUZ, St Elizabeth — The People’s National Party (PNP) has confirmed its executive in St Elizabeth North Eastern (NE) and St Elizabeth South Eastern (SE) following constituency conferences.

Chairman of the PNP’s Region Five, Hopeton McCatty, told the Jamaica Observer that Councillor Donovan Pagon (Braes River Division) was yesterday selected as the chairman for St Elizabeth NE replacing Basil Waite who didn’t seek re-election.

Pagon later told the Sunday Observer that he is holding the position on an “interim” basis. Pagon — son of the late Sydney Pagon, a former Member of Parliament (MP) for St Elizabeth North Eastern — had previously indicated he will be retiring from representational politics come the next local government election.

Former MP for the constituency, Kern Spencer, who recently said he is giving thought to contesting the chairmanship of the PNP’s Region Five which includes Manchester and St Elizabeth, was selected as secretary in St Elizabeth NE.

In St Elizabeth SE, Councillor Layton Smith (Myersville Division) was selected a few days ago as chairman replacing Dr Dwaine Spencer who didn’t seek re-election. Spencer, a Junction-based medical doctor who is the younger brother of Kern Spencer, lost to the ruling Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) Frank Witter in last September’s parliamentary elections.

Smith told the Sunday Observer that he has no interest in contesting the seat in the next parliamentary election.

“My job right now is just to get the constituency reunited, reorganised, rebuilt and ready for that time to come when whosoever comes in as the candidate for the next general election. I have no plan right now [to contest],” he said.

“Right now, the four divisions are ready for [local government] election,” he added

The four divisions in St Elizabeth SE are Myersville, Junction, Southfield, and Malvern.

Meanwhile, in Manchester, former MP Peter Bunting has been re-elected as chairman for Manchester Central, while the incumbent Manchester North Western MP Mikael Phillips remains chairman in that constituency ahead of next Saturday’s constituency conference.

Manchester North Western was the only seat to remain for the PNP following last September’s massive 14-49 defeat to the JLP.

McCatty said other constituencies will be having their conferences “in short order” to elect their executives ahead of next month’s annual conference of the PNP.

— Kasey Williams