Valentine and Nair

TRADE UNIONIST Granville Valentine has been unveiled as the People's National Party's (PNP) candidate to contest the June 16 by-election against ousted Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Member of Parliament (MP) Gregory Mair in North East St Catherine.

Valentine, who began his campaign in the constituency nearly two months ago, was given the nod following a lengthy deliberation by the party's hierarchy over who should be the party's standard bearer for the by-election.

Well-placed party sources said that persons within the party were insisting that former MP Phyllis Mitchell challenge Mair.

The rationale advanced for Mitchell's challenge was that an internal poll showed that she enjoyed a comfortable advantage against Mair.

But Mair has said that polls done by the JLP show the reverse, no matter which candidate the PNP throws up.

looking forward

On Tuesday, Valentine told The Gleaner he was looking forward to challenging Mair.

"I am in election mood," Valentine said, adding that he expected to win.

Meanwhile, The Patriots, the caucus of young professionals aligned with the PNP, has called for Mair to remove North East St Ann MP Shahine Robinson as his campaign director.

Robinson is facing the court on a challenge to her eligibility to sit in the House and her seat could be the next in which a by-election is held. The court will, as has been the case in the last two instances, find her ineligible to sit in Parliament if it is proven that she is a citizen of the United States of America.

"When one considers that the reason for this by-election is to correct the breach of the Jamaica Constitution with respect to qualification and suitability as under the Constitution to sit in the House of Representatives, the choice of Robinson - herself said to be sitting in breach - to be the campaign director is an affront to the people of Jamaica," The Patriots said.

"The Jamaica Labour Party must prove that it has more than an occasional acquaintance with principle and respect for the people of Jamaica and our Constitution by ensuring Ms Robinson's removal," it added.