FORMER People’s National Party (PNP) candidate for St Andrew North Western Keisha Hayle is among those scolding the Opposition party for its decision not to contest the Clarendon South Eastern parliamentary by-election scheduled for March 2.

“We have a candidate who is in that seat for six years now. Remember enuh, when I went to north-west it was just six weeks; that candidate is in the seat for six years now and if we [are not] confident that Patricia can win that seat that mean seh no caretaker can win a seat in the next election. That’s what you’re telling me and that’s what you’re telling the electorate,” the educator-turned-politician said in a 40-minute Facebook live rant.

The PNP, in a statement last week following the sudden departure of Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Member of Parliament for Clarendon South Eastern Rudyard Spencer, said it would not legitimise the “hurried and contrived resignation” by participating in the by-election.

The party said Spencer’s resignation has not been occasioned by any personal or national emergency, but by the political exigencies of the JLP to settle the political wrangling between senators Pearnel Charles Jr and Robert Morgan. Charles Jr is expected to replace Spencer as the JLP representative in the constituency.

The PNP also said that it is unreasonable to ask Jamaicans to provide the Electoral Office of Jamaica with $30 million to pay for a “contrived by-election” when a general election, expecting to cost over one billion dollars, is due within months.

The next general election is constitutionally due by February 2021, but Prime Minister Andrew Holness has signalled that he will likely call it this year.

As a result, the PNP said its caretaker candidate Patricia Duncan Sutherland would not be contesting the by-election.

“Fraidy fraidy can’t inna politics and fraidy fraidy can’t win politics. We have a by-election coming up and before the dust settle we seh we naah contest it. How it look to the electorate? Persons wondering which party mi must vote for, how you think it look to them? Tell mi if mi talking foolishness,” an animated Hayle said.

The Padmore Primary School principal continued her criticism of her party, arguing that it failed to provide support for Duncan Sutherland, who is reportedly facing heat from both supporters and critics who have expressed disappointment over the party’s stance.

Hayle argued that it was not enough to release a statement on the matter and questioned the PNP executive’s decision to not stage a press conference to address supporters’ concerns.

Noting that a general election is not constitutionally due until 2021, Hayle insisted that there is “no better way to test if you’re strong and ready” than with a by-election.

“Them things here go down in history. This is history in the making,” she lamented.

“Personally, Peter Phillips is somebody weh me like, personally, because you know you can chit chat with him. It’s politically now, when I look at the thing politically, I think I chose the stronger leader and that’s why I rise with Peter Bunting, that’s my opinion, he’s a stronger leader,” Hayle added.

Her reference was to the leadership challenge Bunting posed to Phillips last year, which ended with Phillips coming out the victor.

Hayle argued that a win for Duncan Sutherland in the central constituency, won only twice by the PNP, would serve to boost the party’s base heading into a national poll.

Of the five by-elections contested since the February 2016 General Election, the PNP has lost three — St Andrew North Western, St Mary South Eastern, and Portland Eastern.

Hayle, who repeatedly described herself as a political analyst in the video, said the problem rattling the 81-year-old Opposition party is the lack of confidence in its president.

“…David never bow out against Goliath. Why are we bowing out? We look weak. We look like seh we nuh ready yet. We a seh we strong and ready but we a talk the talk and we naah walk the walk, people… What kind of leadership is this? What’s going on with the PNP?” an irate Hayle let out.

Insisting that the JLP “cannot win an election fair” and that an organised PNP is feared by the ruling party, Hayle said Phillips is sleeping on the job.

“We need fi tout up wi self, PNP. Wi need fi build wi self and this is what the leader must come on and talk and build him people them and tell him people them waah gwaan. Mi waah see strong leadership in this PNP party. Mi only can line up behind a strong leader because I am a strong leader mi self, so mi only can line up behind strong leadership fi wow mi and seh, ‘Yea, PNP strong and ready fi true’. Mi want that; that is what mi want and until unnuh can prove them thing deh to mi, don’t come tell mi seh unnuh strong and ready and a by-election come and unnuh waah chicken out pon it,” an emotionally charged Hayle said.

Part III, subsection 27 (i) of The Representation of the People Act stipulates that where only one candidate has been nominated within the time allowed, the returning officer must immediately make this known to the chief electoral officer through the appropriate form that that candidate is duly elected for the constituency.

This eliminates the need for the returning officer to “grant a poll for taking the votes of the elector”.