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Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Deputy Leader Audley Shaw and Public Relations Chairman Andrew Holness are distancing themselves from a group of supporters who have allegedly started a movement to pave the way for their choice's ascendancy to the throne when Prime Minister Bruce Golding steps down.
The group, which includes JLP Campaign Chairman Karl Samuda and other senior party members and financial backers, met at attorney-at-law Harold Brady's home on Sunday, hours after Golding announced his plan to quit.
The meeting, reportedly to ensure Shaw is elected come November, took place even as the party's Central Executive rejected Golding's resignation plan and begged him to stay.
As news of the confab of an alleged anti-Golding group swirled on Monday, it sparked a bust-up during the party's weekly meeting of its Standing Committee, and yesterday Shaw and the man expected to be his main rival, Holness, scrambled to clear their names.
"It has been brought to my attention that my name is being called in relation to a gathering of persons on Sunday night at the residence of Harold Brady hours after the leader Bruce Golding's shock announcement at the JLP's Central Executive," Shaw said in a late afternoon release.
"I neither knew of the meeting, sanctioned the meeting, nor would have attended or given any approvals for anyone to discuss any related issues on the matter at hand on my behalf," added Shaw.
Holness had earlier taken to the airwaves claiming he was invited to the meeting where it was suggested that he should stay out of the race while endorsing Shaw.
According to Holness, he told the persons present that he was not prepared to go that route, and left.
That claim was supported by a senior JLP official who told The Gleaner that while the meeting was called to get backing for Shaw, there was no diabolical plan.
"The truth is everybody had left the meeting wondering what would happen, so we called some senior members of the party, a number of members of parliament, as well as Holness and other backers of the party," the official claimed.
"When he (Golding) announced that he intends to depart in November, it was obvious that there was going to be a hiatus. It became obvious that he was going to be a lame-duck prime minister and it was obvious that the party could descend into factions," a leading player at the meeting said.
"When he (Golding) announced it without consultation with any of the senior persons, some persons gathered to say what is going to happen, we cannot allow the party to disintegrate," the source added.
He said, with this in mind, the group decided to coalesce around one leader.
"And the person who came to mind immediately was Audley Shaw," the insider said.
"Because Holness had the popular support, we were trying to say to Holness, 'We know that popularity is on your side, but time is also on your side. Why don't you prepare to work with Audley during this interim so we have a smooth transition', and that is what it was all about."
But that is far from the end of the matter, as Golding backers say the meeting brings back memories of the failed 'Gang of Five' and 'Gang of Eleven' conspiracies which were hatched to oust the party's former leader, Edward Seaga.
The issue led to a near brawl during the weekly meeting of the party's Standing Committee.
"The meeting ended in disarray as the quarrel reached a point where it appeared that blows would be thrown," a party insider told The Gleaner.
"It started as a quarrel about Holness' presence at the meeting at Brady's house Sunday evening and ended as a clash between pro- and anti-Golding supporters," added the source.
Daryl Vaz, Golding's confidant and the minister with responsibility for information, and Samuda led the two factions which clashed verbally, forcing a premature end to the Standing Committee meeting.
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/2...ead/lead1.html
The group, which includes JLP Campaign Chairman Karl Samuda and other senior party members and financial backers, met at attorney-at-law Harold Brady's home on Sunday, hours after Golding announced his plan to quit.
The meeting, reportedly to ensure Shaw is elected come November, took place even as the party's Central Executive rejected Golding's resignation plan and begged him to stay.
As news of the confab of an alleged anti-Golding group swirled on Monday, it sparked a bust-up during the party's weekly meeting of its Standing Committee, and yesterday Shaw and the man expected to be his main rival, Holness, scrambled to clear their names.
"It has been brought to my attention that my name is being called in relation to a gathering of persons on Sunday night at the residence of Harold Brady hours after the leader Bruce Golding's shock announcement at the JLP's Central Executive," Shaw said in a late afternoon release.
"I neither knew of the meeting, sanctioned the meeting, nor would have attended or given any approvals for anyone to discuss any related issues on the matter at hand on my behalf," added Shaw.
Holness had earlier taken to the airwaves claiming he was invited to the meeting where it was suggested that he should stay out of the race while endorsing Shaw.
According to Holness, he told the persons present that he was not prepared to go that route, and left.
That claim was supported by a senior JLP official who told The Gleaner that while the meeting was called to get backing for Shaw, there was no diabolical plan.
"The truth is everybody had left the meeting wondering what would happen, so we called some senior members of the party, a number of members of parliament, as well as Holness and other backers of the party," the official claimed.
"When he (Golding) announced that he intends to depart in November, it was obvious that there was going to be a hiatus. It became obvious that he was going to be a lame-duck prime minister and it was obvious that the party could descend into factions," a leading player at the meeting said.
"When he (Golding) announced it without consultation with any of the senior persons, some persons gathered to say what is going to happen, we cannot allow the party to disintegrate," the source added.
He said, with this in mind, the group decided to coalesce around one leader.
"And the person who came to mind immediately was Audley Shaw," the insider said.
"Because Holness had the popular support, we were trying to say to Holness, 'We know that popularity is on your side, but time is also on your side. Why don't you prepare to work with Audley during this interim so we have a smooth transition', and that is what it was all about."
But that is far from the end of the matter, as Golding backers say the meeting brings back memories of the failed 'Gang of Five' and 'Gang of Eleven' conspiracies which were hatched to oust the party's former leader, Edward Seaga.
The issue led to a near brawl during the weekly meeting of the party's Standing Committee.
"The meeting ended in disarray as the quarrel reached a point where it appeared that blows would be thrown," a party insider told The Gleaner.
"It started as a quarrel about Holness' presence at the meeting at Brady's house Sunday evening and ended as a clash between pro- and anti-Golding supporters," added the source.
Daryl Vaz, Golding's confidant and the minister with responsibility for information, and Samuda led the two factions which clashed verbally, forcing a premature end to the Standing Committee meeting.
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/2...ead/lead1.html
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