Rivals bail out of JLP’s St Andrew North Central race

The internal tensions within the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) over who will be selected to run to replace Karl Samuda in St Andrew North Central took an unexpected turn on Sunday, when both potential candidates formally withdrew their petitions to represent the constituency.

The surprising move immediately raise questions about the party’s plans for the seat.

In a statement, the JLP’s communication task force announced that its central executive was informed during yesterday’s meeting at the party’s headquarters that neither Senator Delano Seiveright nor Christian Tavares-Finson would be in the running for the candidacy. According to the party, the men’s application withdrawals will allow for a resetting of the process of finalising a candidate. The JLP also noted that their withdrawals followed a review by the party.

“The withdrawal will allow the party secretariat to conduct a consultation with the executive and workers of St Andrew North Central in the coming weeks as it restarts the process of finalising a candidate within the rules of the party,” the JLP said.

The party further stated that Samuda, the current member of parliament for St Andrew North Central, will remain chairman of the constituency until the process is finalised. At the same time, the JLP stressed that both Seiveright and Tavares-Finson “are valued members of the party”.

Last week, tensions erupted within the party over allegations that the leadership was preparing to overlook Seiveright in favour of Tavares-Finson. This triggered talks of street protests in the constituency, a JLP stronghold, just months before the general election is due in September.

In an interview with The Gleaner last week, veteran political power broker Pauline Samuda revealed that Seiveright’s April 18 public announcement of his interest in the seat was strategically timed to pre-empt the party’s selection of Tavares-Finson, son of Senate President Tom Tavares-Finson, to succeed her husband, Karl Samuda, who has hinted that he may retire after holding the seat since 1980.

“Delano then applied ... . He wrote a letter saying that he was applying for the seat. So he did apply, but I think that came at a time when there was a little movement to put somebody else in the seat, and so we kind of messed that up,” Mrs Samuda said then.

Seiveright’s campaign was abruptly halted last Monday following a reportedly tense meeting with JLP General Secretary Dr Horace Chang at the JLP’s Belmont Road, St Andrew headquarters, where green-clad workers and supporters from St Andrew North Central confronted Chang about Seiveright’s apparent sidelining.

Seiveright broke his silence the next day, stating, “This is not a withdrawal. Far from it. It’s simply a moment to allow the party the space it needs to move forward in unity and strength.”

However, insiders told The Gleaner that supporters were ready to obstruct important roadways, including Red Hills Road, Constant Spring Road, and areas of Manor Park, in support of Seiveright’s candidature. The protest was called off following an emergency intervention by JLP personnel.

With Seiveright and Tavares-Finson out of the race, it is unclear who will run on the JLP ticket in the upcoming election. Samuda’s wife has confirmed whispers that her husband might consider running again.

“Yes, there was a thing that if it wasn’t Delano, that he would run again,” Mrs Samuda acknowledged. “It could have [triggered reactions], yes.”

rochelle.clayton@gleanerjm.com