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Maxine Henry-Wilson wins PNP Deputy-Chairman Race |
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KINGSTON, (PNP HQ). Updated 2005 February 13 |
The People's National Party today held it's National Executive Council (NEC) meeting at the Holiday Inn Hotel in Rose Hall, Montego Bay, St. James. The NEC elected the Chairman. Deputy Chairman and eleven NEC members to the Party's Executive.
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| Comrade Maxine Henry-Wilson | Comrade Phillip Paulwell |
In the race for Deputy Chairman of the Party, the incumbent, Comrade Maxine Henry-Wilson, Member of Parliament for South Eastern St. Andrew and Minister of Education, Youth and Culture got 155 votes to beat the only other contender Comrade Phillip Paulwell, Member of Parliament for Eastern Kingston and Port Royal and Minister of Commerce, Science and Technology who got 70 votes. There was one spoilt vote.
Comrade Maxine Henry-Wilson has served the Party in several capacities over the last 30 years, including Political Education Officer, Deputy General Secretary, General Secretary and Deputy Chairman.
Fifteen persons were nominated for the eleven positions for NEC representatives to the Party's Executive. Comrade Kern Spencer, a Government Senator and Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of National Security got the highest votes - 2002. Comrade Spencer is a former president and general secretary of the Party's Youth Arm - the PNPYO and former constituency secretary for South West St. Elizabeth.
There were eight spoilt votes. The complete votes for the NEC representatives to the Party's Executive were as follows (click on the highlighted names to see their profiles):
Kern Spencer - 202
Trevor Munroe - 201
Anthony Hylton - 190
K. D. Knight - 187
Ronnie Thwaites - 187
Wycham McNeil - 184
John Junor - 181
Aloun Assamba - 180
Denise Daley - 178
Morais Guy - 152
Len Blake - 145
Floyd Morris - 133
Richard Azan - 125
Joseph "bunny" Witter - 75
Barbara Clarke - 67
This means that Comrades Spencer, Munroe, Hylton, Knight, Thwaites, McNeil, Junor, Assamba, Daley, Guy and Blake are the current NEC representatives to the Executive. Of the comrades whose names are not highlighted above indicating that a hypertext profile is not yet available for them on the Party's website, comrades Spencer, Munroe and Morris are Government Senators, Comrade Thwaites is former MP for Central Kingston, and Comrade Daley is a Parish Councillor and Minority Leader in the St. Catherine Parish Council.
At the close of the NEC meeting, Party Leader and Prime Minister P. J. Patterson gave the clearest indication that the matter of the CCJ would be put to the Jamaican people in a referendum. He also indicated that his administration would be pursuing dialogue with the Parliamentary Opposition to gain consensus on the way forward with a variety of issues including the CCJ and how to deal with Crime and Violence. He said he would address the Nation later tonight on these matters in a national broadcast.
The Party Leader in a very upbeat mood urged all Party members to maintain the unity in the Party and he implored those vying to take over as Party Leader when he steps down, to campaign part time until he officially abdicates the top post. He asked them to instead focus on their ministerial and Party work in a bid to ensure that the Party wins the next national elections.
Comrade Patterson also gave notice that, as a result of him having to chair the meeting of the Group of 77 Nations, he would not be in the island during the period normally scheduled for the Annual Party Conference in September this year, and received a unanimous mandate from the NEC to have the date of the conference moved earlier by a week, This means that the 67th Annual Party Conference will now be held from the 8th-11th of September instead of from the 15th-18th. Thursday 8th will bee the opening night, Friday 9th and Saturday 10th will be the private business sessions, and the public session will be on the closing day Sunday 11th.
In a elegant luncheon at the hotel's Trattoria restaurant after the NEC meeting had concluded, Party Chairman presented all the female members of the NEC with Valentine baskets.
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