Daraine Luton, Staff Reporter

( L - R ) Azan, Porteous

DEFEATED People's National Party (PNP) parliamentary candidates Richard Azan and Scean Barnswell will be contesting the local government elections.

Mr. Azan, a former junior government minister, lost his North West Clarendon seat to the Jamaica Labour Party's (JLP) Michael Stern.

PNP General Secretary Donald Buchanan told The Gleaner yesterday that Mr. Azan would be contesting the Spaldings division on behalf of the party. Of the four divisions in North West Clarendon, Spaldings was the only division won by Mr. Azan in the September 3 general election.

There, Mr. Azan polled 2,177 votes to Mr. Stern's 1,792. Jean White, who died recently, won the seat for the PNP in the previous local government election held in 2003.

Mr. Barnswell, the sitting councillor for Hayes in South East Clarendon, will be running for the strong PNP division again.

Mr. Barnswell was beaten by Ruddy Spencer for a seat in Gordon House. He, however, polled 2,433 votes in the division to Mr. Spencer's 1,387 in the September 3 general election.

Last week, it emerged that former JLP Members of Parliament, Jeremy Palmer and Derrick Sangster, who both served in the JLP administration of the 1980s, are set to represent the party in the upcoming elections.

Also expected to be among the JLP flag bearers are Sally Porteous, councillor of the Mandeville division, and Montego Bay mayor, Noel Donaldson. Both were defeated parliamentary candidates in the recent general election.

The JLP swept the last local government elections, winning 12 parishes, plus the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC). The PNP later won Portland after Mayor Benny White switched allegiance to join the PNP, which had won only Westmoreland.

Comrades charged

PNP president Portia Simpson Miller charged Comrades at the party's recent National Executive Council meeting in Negril to do better in the upcoming election.

"We must do better. We have to do better," she said.

Yesterday, Mr. Buchanan said the party was optimistic about its chances in the elections.

"We are not making any predictions as to how many parishes we are going to win, but we are going to be extremely competitive once the playing field is level," Mr. Buchanan said.

daraine.luton@gleanerjm.com