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Wednesday, 30 July 2008 
The war of words between the camps of the two People's National Party (PNP) Presidential candidates is threatening to turn ugly.
Things took a turn for the worse Tuesday night when Portia Simpson-Miller supporter and PNP Vice-President Emeritus and party Treasurer Roger Clarke declared that he is prepared to be fired from the Party for comments made on RJR earlier this week.
Mr. Clarke has been under fire from Dr. Peter Phillips' campaign team which has accused him of undermining efforts to unite the PNP.
On Tuesday, the Phillips' team wrote to General Secretary Peter Bunting calling for Mr. Clarke be disciplined for breaching the code of conduct for the presidential election.
Mr. Clarke, who appeared on RJR's daily current affairs discussion programme Beyond on the Headlines on Monday, had warned of further division and more bad blood in the Party if Dr. Phillips proceeded with his challenge for the leadership.
The usually calm Mr. Clarke was on the warpath when our new centre spoke with him Tuesday night.
He said he has been a member of the PNP for 50 years and is in a position to determine what is right from wrong for the Party.
Mr. Clarke declared that he would not withdraw his statement and dared any member of the PNP to force him to do so.
"If that is what they want me to retract tell them to fire me from the PNP, who can let them do it and those who are talking about that tell them about me and ask them what is their history in the party," he said.
When elephants fight the grass dies
Mr. Clarke insisted that his statement had not damaged the PNP and he was only speaking the truth on what is happening inside the 70-year old Party.
"Regardless of what anybody wants to say a division is going to be perpetuated in the party because we saw what happened last time. I used an analogy to say when two elephants fight, the grass dies and in this instance, the PNP is the grass and the two elephants are el numero uno, the Party Leader, who is being challenged for the first time in our history in this way," said Mr. Clarke.
Members of the Party's Secretariat have refused to comment on the turn of events.
A senior official told RJR News Tuesday night that he was awaiting a copy of the transcript of Mr. Clarke's statement on Beyond the Headlines in order to determine the next move.
Phillips should withdraw
The PNP Secretary also publicly called on Dr. Phillips to withdraw his bid for the Presidency of the PNP.
Mr. Clarke said Dr. Phillips' challenge will only serve to destroy the Party.
"I told him so and I'll say it to him again ... in the interest of the party (he should withdraw his challenge). I outlined to him in very vivid detail what will happen.
I have been watching what's been happening recently and it's obvious that some people want to silence others but I will not be silenced. I have to speak up ... this is my 50th year with the People's National Party," he said.
Roger being disingenuous - Solid as a Rock
Mr. Clarke is not the only senior PNP member adding his voice to the fray.
Member of the Phillips Campaign John Junor said contrary to Mr. Clarke's utterances on RJR's Beyond the Headlines on Monday, discussions took place about Mrs. Simpson-Miller's leadership of the PNP.
Mr. Junor said Mr. Clarke was well aware that members of the Party had expressed concerns about Mrs. Simpson-Miller's leadership.
"There were many people including people in the Simpson-Miller camp who raised concern about issues of leadership and her conduct. I think that Roger is being disingenuous if that is the argument he's seeking to advance that there were no discussions internally on this issue.
If he meant that we didn't go to an NEC (National Executive Council) meeting or an annual conference to discuss this matter he would be correct but to say that there were no discussions and no disquiet expressed, would in fact not be true," said Mr. Junor.
He was speaking on Beyond the Headlines on Tuesday.
The war of words between the camps of the two People's National Party (PNP) Presidential candidates is threatening to turn ugly.Things took a turn for the worse Tuesday night when Portia Simpson-Miller supporter and PNP Vice-President Emeritus and party Treasurer Roger Clarke declared that he is prepared to be fired from the Party for comments made on RJR earlier this week.
Mr. Clarke has been under fire from Dr. Peter Phillips' campaign team which has accused him of undermining efforts to unite the PNP.
On Tuesday, the Phillips' team wrote to General Secretary Peter Bunting calling for Mr. Clarke be disciplined for breaching the code of conduct for the presidential election.
Mr. Clarke, who appeared on RJR's daily current affairs discussion programme Beyond on the Headlines on Monday, had warned of further division and more bad blood in the Party if Dr. Phillips proceeded with his challenge for the leadership.
The usually calm Mr. Clarke was on the warpath when our new centre spoke with him Tuesday night.
He said he has been a member of the PNP for 50 years and is in a position to determine what is right from wrong for the Party.
Mr. Clarke declared that he would not withdraw his statement and dared any member of the PNP to force him to do so.
"If that is what they want me to retract tell them to fire me from the PNP, who can let them do it and those who are talking about that tell them about me and ask them what is their history in the party," he said.
When elephants fight the grass dies
Mr. Clarke insisted that his statement had not damaged the PNP and he was only speaking the truth on what is happening inside the 70-year old Party.
"Regardless of what anybody wants to say a division is going to be perpetuated in the party because we saw what happened last time. I used an analogy to say when two elephants fight, the grass dies and in this instance, the PNP is the grass and the two elephants are el numero uno, the Party Leader, who is being challenged for the first time in our history in this way," said Mr. Clarke.
Members of the Party's Secretariat have refused to comment on the turn of events.
A senior official told RJR News Tuesday night that he was awaiting a copy of the transcript of Mr. Clarke's statement on Beyond the Headlines in order to determine the next move.
Phillips should withdraw
The PNP Secretary also publicly called on Dr. Phillips to withdraw his bid for the Presidency of the PNP.
Mr. Clarke said Dr. Phillips' challenge will only serve to destroy the Party.
"I told him so and I'll say it to him again ... in the interest of the party (he should withdraw his challenge). I outlined to him in very vivid detail what will happen.
I have been watching what's been happening recently and it's obvious that some people want to silence others but I will not be silenced. I have to speak up ... this is my 50th year with the People's National Party," he said.
Roger being disingenuous - Solid as a Rock
Mr. Clarke is not the only senior PNP member adding his voice to the fray.
Member of the Phillips Campaign John Junor said contrary to Mr. Clarke's utterances on RJR's Beyond the Headlines on Monday, discussions took place about Mrs. Simpson-Miller's leadership of the PNP.
Mr. Junor said Mr. Clarke was well aware that members of the Party had expressed concerns about Mrs. Simpson-Miller's leadership.
"There were many people including people in the Simpson-Miller camp who raised concern about issues of leadership and her conduct. I think that Roger is being disingenuous if that is the argument he's seeking to advance that there were no discussions internally on this issue.
If he meant that we didn't go to an NEC (National Executive Council) meeting or an annual conference to discuss this matter he would be correct but to say that there were no discussions and no disquiet expressed, would in fact not be true," said Mr. Junor.
He was speaking on Beyond the Headlines on Tuesday.
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