The People’s National Party (PNP) has confirmed it will not be contesting the upcoming by-election in North East St Ann.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced the by-election on Wednesday morning, alerting that nomination day will be September 11 and the election on September 30.

The announcement came a day after Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Member of Parliament Marsha Smith resigned with immediate effect.

In a media release on Wednesday afternoon, PNP President Mark Golding said the party “is preparing for general elections to enable the people to vote in a new government, and will not be contesting by-elections at this late stage in the run-up to the general elections.”

Golding also questioned the timing of the by-election, noting that the government is in the fifth and final year of its term of office.

“It (the JLP government) is becoming increasingly unpopular, and recent events show that it is on the ropes,” he said.

He described the North East St Ann by-election as a “slap in the face of the electors of Southern Trelawny”, who have had no parliamentary representative for a full year.

“It is also a slap in the face of the people of Morant Bay, whose right to elect a Councillor within 90 days of a vacancy was abridged by the Holness Administration using an amendment to the Representation of the People Act, a by-election which is legally due now,” Golding continued.

The PNP president also accused Holness of orchestrating the by-election, pointing to the timing of the announcement of the resignation of Matthew Samuda from his senate seat and his post as Minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation.

“It is striking and unprecedented that this by-election was announced less than 24 hours after the resignation of the Member of Parliament. It is also of some importance to note that the first notification to the Jamaican people about the resignation of a cabinet Minister and Senator, Mr Matthew Samuda, is within the context of announcing a by-election” Golding said.

He also pointed out the fact that the parliament in 2016 legislated that there should be no by-elections for municipal corporations within a 12-month period leading up to local government elections.

He said the PNP will contest the local government by-elections which are due as required by law, as local government elections are not due for another three and a half years.

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https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20240904/golding-confirms-pnp-wont-contest-north-east-st-ann-election