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PNP Brawlers Won't Apologize
News Item From The Jamaica Gleaner
WESTERN BUREAU: GEORGE WRIGHT and Lincoln Ramgeet,
two of the four People's National Party (PNP) delegates implicated in the brawl that
marred the party's internal election for the chairmanship of the North West St. James
constituency four weeks ago, have opted to face disciplinary action rather than apologise
over the event.
However, Clayton Morgan, the lawyer representing all four, told The Gleaner yesterday that
the two other persons implicated, Councillor Dave Anglin and Genieve McIntosh, had signed
a letter of apology addressed to the Prime Minister.
The letter, which Morgan drafted, was presented to the Prime Minister yesterday at a
meeting of the PNP's National Executive Council (NEC) at the Jamaica Grande Hotel in Ocho
Rios.
The dissenters' stance has put paid to party leader Prime Minister PJ Patterson's hopes of
ending the dispute that has been raging between supporters of Senator Janet Madden and
attorney Noel Donaldson, who both made bids for the North West St. James seat last month.
Madden emerged the winner unopposed following Donaldson's last-minute withdrawal citing
bogus voting.
"No way under God's sun will I apologise!" declared Wright yesterday. Ramgeet
was equally adamant. "I have no intention of apologising. I will not!" he said.
Since the election at Cornwall College in Montego Bay, the brawl has been the subject of
internal party wrangling as the party's regional authorities called up Wright, Ramgeet,
Anglin and all supporters of Donaldson to answer charges of assault and malicious
destruction of property.
All four refused to testify before the regional authority on the grounds that the body had
no right to charge or discipline them without the sanction of the party's higher
authority, the National Executive Council (NEC). As a result, the matter was referred to
the NEC.
But in a clear attempt to restore peace among party delegates who have been grumbling that
none of Senator Madden's supporters were implicated in the brawl, the Prime Minister on
Friday night gave the four the option of apologising by noon today or standing trial
before the NEC.
Tonight when the NEC meets, it is expected that the letter of apology will be formally
accepted.
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