KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – The main opposition People’s National Party (PNP) confirmed on Friday that it expelled four members nominated on Thursday as independent candidates to contest the February 26 Local Government Elections.
In a statement, the PNP said that it had expelled Lydia Richards, Lawton McKenzie, Beverley Swaby, and Uphell Purcell in keeping with the rules of the party’s constitution, which states, “No person who has contested a seat in the House of Representatives or for any Municipality, or as a candidate in opposition to the People’s National Party, may continue as a member of the party.”
While it expressed gratitude for the former members’ service, the PNP said that “looking ahead with confidence,” it anticipates “decisive victory” for those chosen to replace the expelled members.
The ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the PNP Thursday nominated candidates to contest the 228 divisions and for the leadership of 14 municipal bodies.
Meanwhile, the Jamaica Debates Commission (JDC) says it will spend J$24 million (One Jamaica dollar=US$0.008 cents) to host two political debates next week. It told the 90-minute debates between the two main political parties are scheduled for Thursday, February 15, and Saturday, February 17.
JDC commissioner and vice chairman Brian Schmidt said that the first debate will focus on local government policy and how it affects Jamaicans. In contrast, the second debate will examine local government and whether it works.
“The parameters are exciting,” said Schmidt, adding, “We expect discussions on tourism inclusive of housing, planning, and development that goes with it. There’s urban development and town planning. There’s the environment, sewage, sanitation, garbage collection, enforcement of NEPA guidelines, public health.
“There’s disaster risk management. There’s the issue of access to and protection of our beaches. There’s agriculture and fisheries and protection of sanctuaries. There’s infrastructure of roads, streetlights, drainage, gullies, and the development of economic drivers through the length and breadth of our country,” he added.
The PNP said it views the Local Government election as a preliminary general election.
“The people are telling the JLP that their time is up. We in the People’s National Party (PNP) have said ‘time come,’ but the people have told the government that time is up,” Golding said, adding, “We have been waiting on this for a few years now. The government has been running from it but couldn’t run anymore. Time catch up with them, and time come.”
However, a confident Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, said the electorate will reward his party for its management of the economy.
He rejected claims by the opposition that his JLP administration has been arrogant and autocratic in its approach to governance.
“It is a strategy of the opposition to create a caricature of me being authoritarian. But it can’t stick because Jamaica is the most democratic it has ever been,” he told reporters.
and then  confirmed on Friday that it expelled four members nominated on Thursday as independent){kind=link}