People's National Party (PNP) to take allegiance to court

Published in the Jamaica Gleaner: Wednesday | August 29, 2007

The People's National Party (PNP) has reiterated that it is taking steps to bring court action against Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) candidates it claims are not qualified to contest the general elections Monday.

PNP chairman Robert Pickersgill told The Gleaner last week his party had gathered credible information about JLP candidates who have sworn allegiance to a foreign power, but added that it was seeking to obtain irrefutable evidence before proceeding to court.

Yesterday, a team of party officials, which included Mr. Pickersgill, David Coore and vice-president Angela Brown-Burke, called a press briefing to discuss the issue but aborted the meeting, claiming it had been advised by its lawyers not to comment on the matter further.

"The best advice we have received, with which we agree, says to us that since the matter is going to be sub judice, we should not enter into that discussion," Mrs. Brown-Burke told journalists in attendance.

Under section 40 (2) of the Jamaica constitution: "No person shall be qualified to be appointed as a senator or elected as a member of the House of Representatives who is, by virtue of his own act, under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power or state."

Writ in question

It is not clear whether a writ has been filed by the party as Gleaner checks with the Supreme Court, up to late yesterday, failed to unearth whether it had been done.

Up to last night PNP executives were still locked in a meeting discussing the matter, and it is understood that Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller is to speak on the matter by Thursday.

However, the guns could be turned on the PNP if it goes ahead and takes court action as it has two candidates who have dual citizenship.

"There are two candidates who have taken the steps to renounce (their citizenship)," deputy campaign director, Paul Burke, told journalists at PNP headquarters on Old Hope Road yesterday.

He continued: "On the legal advice they have received from the party lawyers, they have taken the appropriate steps to renounce and our legal advice assured us that they were taking the appropriate steps."

In what is expected to be a tight election, the legitimacy of a candidate and whether he or she would be qualified to take a seat in Gordon House could become a deciding factor in who forms the next government.