How PNP Delegates Are Chosen

By: Admin

Image caption: Lisa Hanna

Much has been said about the delegates’ list, which will be used in the People’s National Party’s (PNP) presidential election as Lisa Hanna and Mark Golding face off this Saturday.

The list of nearly 3,400 names is mainly comprises group representatives and has been the subject of controversy as the Hanna campaign has questioned its composition, particularly the names added by the National Workers Union (NWU). The NWU list was eventually accepted on Sunday.

A group is unit of at least 10 members, which has been in existence for at least seven months and its financials are in an acceptable state.

All party groups which have had an annual general meeting (AGM) as required by the PNP constitution elect delegates on a ratio of 10:1. So for every 10 members, the group gets to have one delegate. The AGMs would have had to be held between January and April.

According to the PNP constitution, a document detailing the number of delegates in each group should be submitted by April 21. This year, however, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the period was extended to June 30.

The Gleaner understands that a small percentage of groups did not hold an AGM and, therefore, have no delegates on this weekend’s voters’ list.

“The party has not done auditing of groups for a number of years, and we should really have done a reverification of membership this year as required by the constitution but the pandemic would have slowed that down,” former PNP General Secretary Paul Burke told The Gleaner yesterday.

Constituencies are only allowed to establish groups based on polling divisions set by the Electoral Commission of Jamaica.

“That is a system that has caused a number of problems, but was put in as an interim measure to stop the wanton registration of groups which was going on. So we have not fixed the group system and that is why there is now a chorus for every party member to be a delegate in his or her own right,” added Burke.

SUPPORT FOR ONE MEMBER, ONE VOTE

Both Hanna and Golding have supported the idea of giving each party member a vote.

Members of parliament, councillors and party senators are also delegates.

The NWU contributes 11 members to the National Executive Council (NEC) and three to the party’s executive. It has 50 delegates to the annual conference.

The PNP Youth Organisation contributes 24 delegates to the NEC, but has only 21 delegates on the list to be used in the upcoming poll.

The PNP Patriots contributes 24 delegates to the NEC as well.

The party also has overseas affiliates, which also get to have some delegates. The Gleaner could not ascertain the exact numbers.

All NEC members are delegates, but not all delegates are NEC members.

NEC members have particular voting rights and the body is the most powerful outside the party’s annual conference.

Each constituency has at least one NEC representative, but some constituencies are allowed two if they have been recognised as having more than 20 groups for over a year, acceptable financials and have active units of the party’s affiliates.

romario.scott@gleanerjm.com