KINGSTON, Jamaica – Portia Simpson Miller has pulled out of the debate between contenders for leadership of the ruling People’s National Party, citing a clash of schedules, including overseas appearances and the uncertainty surrounding the event.
“January 31 was reserved for Mrs. Simpson Miller’s participation in the debate. However, the PSOJ cancelled the date, citing its inability to secure sponsorship and advertisers to cover the high cost associated with TVJ hosting the event in its studios and broadcasting it live to the people of Jamaica,” said a statement from Team Portia, the campaign organisation for the popular local government minister.
It was not clear if the organisers would be going ahead with the debate, reports the Jamaica Observer.
Lola Fong-Wright, the PSOJ’s CEO, said she was unable to provide details as she had not been officially informed by Team Portia about the cancellation. She said she also needed to meet with her president, Beverly Lopez, to arrive at a decision.
Dr. Peter Phillips, one of the leading candidates for the PNP presidency, seized the opportunity to make political capital of Simpson Miller’s withdrawal by reiterating his availability for a debate at any time before the February 25 special conference.
“It is my fervent belief that all aspirants for the post of president of the People’s National Party, and ultimately prime minister of Jamaica, have a responsibility to share their vision for national development and make themselves available to be questioned in a forum such as a national debate as proposed by the PSOJ and the MAJ (Media Association of Jamaica),” Phillips was quoted in a statement from his Solid as a Rock campaign team.
Just under 4,000 PNP delegates will elect Prime Minister P J Patterson’s successor at the special conference, and political analysts have forecasted the contest as a straight fight between Simpson Miller and Phillips.
There was already mounting speculation as to whether Simpson Miller would participate in the debate after her handlers told the PSOJ, a sponsor of the debate, that their candidate could not guarantee an appearance after the first date of January 31 fell through. The PSOJ, Team Portia said, could not guarantee a date beyond suggesting one between February 8 and 15.
Team Portia’s statement added that when they contacted the PSOJ’s Fong-Wright on January 30, “she was unable to provide any information as, the president was off the island and a meeting with the MAJ to conclude the arrangements was yet to be held”.
“Later that afternoon, Team Portia received a letter from the PSOJ, asking for dates between February 8 and 15 for the staging of the debate.
“However, the Team Portia campaign schedule for the remaining three weeks has already been finalised. This includes at least two significant overseas engagements, which are critical to the campaign during that very period.
Accordingly, we regret that there is no time for the inclusion of a debate during that or any other time before February 25,” said the Team Portia statement.
The PSOJ said earlier yesterday that the organisation needed a response by yesterday in order to put proper plans in place for the debate.
“We had written to the candidates from Tuesday, expecting to get a response by today (Thursday) and we are waiting with bated breath so we can put plans in motion,” said Fong-Wright earlier in the day in a telephone interview.
She said the PSOJ had received assurances of participation in the debate from all the other candidates except Simpson Miller.
Simpson Miller had earlier in the campaign missed a breakfast date with the PSOJ to answer questions on her leadership plans, leading to speculation that she was avoiding serious engagement on the issues.
However, Simpson Miller, who had cited a clash in her schedule for missing the earlier date, subsequently attended another breakfast and reportedly charmed her hosts, which included the CEOs of some of Jamaica’s major companies.
The other contenders for the PNP leadership are Dr Omar Davies, the finance minister, and medical doctor Karl Blythe, a vice-president of the party.
The February 25 election is to be held at Jamaica College in Kingston.
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