Jamaica Labour Party, JLP, general secretary, Dr. Horace Chang, has all but confirmed that Senator Audrey Marks will be the party’s standard-bearer in North East Manchester for the next general election.
He has also indicated that State Minister of Tourism, Senator Delano Seiveright, who in May suspended his push to replace Karl Samuda in North Central St Andrew, will indeed get the nod.
Mahiri Stewart has that story.
Dr Chang made the announcements while speaking with Cliff Hughes on Nationwide at Five on Monday.
Senator Marks is minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister, with responsibility for efficiency, innovation and digital transformation.
She previously served as Jamaica’s ambassador to the US and Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States.
North East Manchester is represented in parliament by veteran member of parliament, MP, Audley Shaw. The self-styled ‘Man-A-Yaad’, who has served for 31 years, will not be seeking re-election.
In 2024 he endorsed councillor for the Craighead division, Omar Miller as his replacement. Principal of Holmwood Technical High School, Hidran McKulsky, was also vying to represent the constituency for the JLP.
Dr. Chang says the party has also settled on its representative for North Central St Andrew.
State Minister of Tourism, Senator Delano Seiveright in May suspended his campaign to be the constituency standard-bearer after only a few weeks.
This amid heightened tension over whether Seiveright or attorney-at-law, Christian Tavares-Finson should replace veteran Karl Samuda in what’s considered a safe JLP seat.
Samuda endorsed Seiveright as his replacement, with the party understood to have been lining up Tavares-Finson as Samuda’s heir.
Some labourites felt Seiveright betrayed the party leadership after he had been given a senate appointment and a role as junior minister, in exchange for relinquishing his ambition to serve North Central St. Andrew as MP.
Chang’s words on Monday now mean that the party is moving forward with Seiveright as its choice.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Andrew Holness on Tuesday posted a picture of himself on social media platform ‘X’, joining hands with Senator Audrey Marks and councillor for the Craighead division in Manchester, Omar Miller.
Miller’s wife and JLP general secretary Dr. Horace Chang are also in the photo.
The picture bears the caption, “Teamwork makes the dream work”.
The image suggests Councillor Miller, who was anointed by Audley Shaw as his successor in the seat and who has the support of many labourites in the constituency, is supporting Senator Marks.
This amid whispers that Councillor Miller’s supporters would refuse to work on election day if he was overlooked by the party in the selection of a ‘candidate-in-waiting’ for the seat.
And a former aspirant for the North East Manchester seat, Holmwood Technical principal, Hidran McKulsky, says he supports the move by the JLP to select Senator Marks.
McKulsky says he will welcome Senator Marks to the constituency as she works to retain the seat for the JLP.
Hidran McKulsky, former JLP North East Manchester aspirant. He was speaking with Nationwide News.
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