PNP President, Portia Simpson-Miller is being challenged by Senior Vice President, Peter Phillips for her post.

This will make the first time in the party's 70-year history that a sitting President is being challenged. Dat a politics. Simpson-Miller has been PNP President since February 2006, after getting the principal share of votes from delegates in the party's last presidential race (1,775). Peter Phillips was right behind her with 1,538 votes.

According to the Jamaica Gleaner, early indications are that Phillips is receiving more support from PNP members of parliament (MPs) than Simpson-Miller. Six MPs have said that they would support Phillips in his bid for leadership of the party, whereas only one, Roger Clarke, expressed similar support for Simpson-Miller. Another six were undecided, two would not disclose their preferences and one person refused to comment. Another eight could not be reached by The Gleaner.

Phillips' decision to challenge Simpson-Miller comes at a time when the PNP faces the strenuous challenge of asserting itself as an Opposition party worthy of Jamaica's trust. There are still many who think that the party needs to unite and focus on winning the country's confidence instead of having internal power struggles. Others believe that the PNP is still recovering from fall-outs over its last presidential race, and is in no position to experience another such event.

Defending his decision to challenge Simpson-Miller, Peter Phillips explained (to the Jamaica Observer) that he does not wish for this presidential race to be viewed in terms of “a contest between individuals and personalities.” He also asserted the need for a new approach to politics in Jamaica. On the other hand, Simpson-Miller is certain that she and her team are up to the task. Both 'presidential hopefuls' agree on one thing: that the PNP is the party that can steer Jamaica to greater heights.

Sources: Jamaica Gleaner (www.gleaner-jamaica.com), Jamaica Observer (www.jamaicaobserver.com)

Chat-Bout Xtra: So the PNP is once again mired in controversy. Another Presidential race. Remember the last one? Remember the rumours of bitter separations as people battled for the party's ultimate seat of power? You really think the PNP can deal with that again, especially in such a delicate time when the fog from the last elections is still quite thick in the air? And who you think deserve to win, and who you think will win? Share your thoughts with us at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and we will join you in the general discussions.

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