THE Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) has described as “striking and unprecedented” the decision by Prime Minister Andrew Holness to announce a by-election in a constituency less than 24 hours after the resignation of the Member of Parliament (MP).

At a post-Cabinet media briefing Wednesday morning Holness announced that electors in St Ann North Eastern will go to the polls on September 30 after Nomination Day, next Wednesday, September 11.

Holness also indicated that Senator Matthew Samuda resigned from the Senate and the Cabinet on Monday and will be the party’s candidate in the by-election.

In a mid-afternoon release on Wednesday, PNP President Mark Golding noted the prime minister’s announcements and questioned the timing.

“It is also of some importance to note that the first notification to the Jamaican people about the resignation of a cabinet minister and Senator Mr Matthew Samuda is within the context of announcing a by-election,” said Golding.

“The prime minister has clearly orchestrated the holding of this by-election which is a slap in the face of the electors of southern Trelawny, who have had no parliamentary representative for a full year, a quarter of the life of this House of Representatives.

“It is also a slap in the face of the people of Morant Bay, [St Thomas] whose right to elect a councillor within 90 days of a vacancy was abridged by the Holness Administration using an amendment to the Representation of the People Act, a by-election which is legally due now,” added Golding.

He charged that the Holness Administration in the fifth “and final year” of its term of office is becoming increasingly unpopular.

“Recent events show that it [the Holness Administration] is on the ropes. The People’s National Party is preparing for general elections to enable the people to vote in a new government, and will not be contesting by-elections at this late stage in the run-up to the general elections,” said Golding.

He added: “It is significant that Parliament in 2016 legislated that there should be no by-elections for municipal corporations within a 12-month period leading up to local government elections. The party will contest the local government by-elections which are due as required by law, as local government elections are not due for another three-and-a-half years.

“The People’s National Party remains steadfast in our mission to protect and strengthen Jamaica’s democracy. We will not enter any process that seeks to undermine the very principles we hold dearly. Instead, we will focus on ensuring that every Jamaican has a voice and that every constituency is treated with the fairness and respect it deserves.”

The St Ann North East constituency became vacant on Tuesday when the sitting MP Marsha Smith resigned. Samuda has been working in the seat for the JLP for more than a year and was recently elected the constituency chairman, so there was no surprise when it was announced that he would contest the seat.

Meanwhile, Trelawny Southern has been without a representative in the House from last September when Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert resigned following an Integrity Commission report which recommended that she be charged in relation to allegations of a false declaration to the commission.

On Wednesday, Holness did not say why a by-election was not announced for that seat but he told the media briefing that by-elections will be held to fill all vacancies in months.