Challenge at your own risk
Dennis Gordon confident he will replace Dr Peter Phillips as PNP’S standard-bearer in St Andrew East Central
COUNCILLOR for the Maxfield Park Division in St Andrew East Central, Dennis Gordon has issued notice to would-be contenders within and outside the People’s National Party (PNP) that he intends to claim the seat when current Member Parliament (MP) Dr Peter Phillips steps down.
Gordon says he welcomes any challenge but that it would be “at their own peril” as “East Central St Andrew with Dennis
Gordon will remain in the column of the PNP ”.
Gordon, councillor for one of three divisions in the constituency which has historically been a PNP stronghold, confirmed on Sunday that he will be pushing to get the seat when Phillips demits office. He declared that he has the full blessing of Phillips, the former PNP president and former leader of the Opposition.
The 73-year-old Phillips recently signalled that he is not ready to step down as MP for the constituency, despite reports that he is facing a new round in his cancer treatment.
According to the reports, Phillips has indicated that he has not made a decision on when he will step down but Gordon is confident that whenever the former party president goes, he is the man for the job.
“He [Phillips] was the person who nominated me as chairman of the constituency. The current leadership has also been working with me so it’s just a question of continuing the work, ensuring that the organisation is strong.
“It’s an honour to be following the footsteps of Norman Manley, D K Duncan, Dr Phillips and Mr [Arthur] Jones. It’s really a stellar group of gentlemen who have represented this constituency,” he declared on Sunday at a Mothers’ Day function at Norman Manley High School in the constituency.
Yesterday, PNP General Secretary Dr Dayton Campbell told the Observer there are no other candidates for the seat in the PNP, although he did not indicate who is the person tipped to replace Phillips.
The first MP after the constituency was formed in 1966 was then PNP president, and later National Hero Norman Manley. He was followed by Dr Kenneth Mcneill in 1972 and Dr D K
Duncan who held the seat from 1976 to 1980.
The Jamaica Labour Party’s Leslie Lloyd took the constituency in an uncontested 1983 General Election, after which it was reclaimed in 1994 by the PNP’S Jones who whipped the JLP’S Rupert Wilmot-francis by 10,333 votes.
Jones gave up the seat due to illness and in a 1994 by-election, Phillips was voted in.
Phillips stepped down as the constituency chairman officially during an executive committee meeting in February 2021.
Gordon, who was appointed to replaced Phillips as chairman, said he is committed to doing his best to serve the constituency.
“And if I’m able to do 50 or 60 per cent of what Dr Phillips has accomplished, then I would have done my part,” declared Gordon as he shared he expects no challenges from within the PNP.
According to Gordon, although he is comfortably ahead, based on a recent poll, he will take nothing for granted.
“So some of the nuances, some of the mistakes made, I’m working to correct those, to strengthen the organisation, to be visible on the ground and continue to reach out to people to change lives. I have had great success in bringing people back together who, for one reason or another, were disgruntled, so I will continue to work assiduously to ensure that in East Central we are all on the same page,” assured Gordon.