Caribbean & Central America - September 2008 (ISSN 1741-4458)

*** SIMPSON MILLER RETAINS LEADERSHIP.  Portia Simpson Miller, the former prime minister and leader of Jamaica's opposition People's National Party (PNP), has retained the leadership of the party.  This, despite both a strong challenge on 20 September from former security minister and long-standing rival, Dr Peter Phillips, and having led her party to defeat in the last general election. Simpson Miller gained 2,332 votes from party delegates to Phillips's 1,959, and she consolidated her victory with three of the four vice-president positions going to her supporters: Angella Brown-Burke, Derrick Kellier, and Noel Arscott.  The fourth VP position went to Dr Fenton Ferguson, a supporter of Dr Phillips. Simpson Miller inherited the leadership of the party and the premiership from PJ Patterson in 2006, becoming Jamaica's first female PM.  However, the PNP was rejected by the electorate after 18 years in power at the September 2007 general election.

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