KINGSTON, Jamaica, Jul 31 2017 – The main opposition People’s National Party (PNP) has selected former Mayor of Kingston, Dr Angela Brown Burke to succeed Portia Simpson Miller as Member of Parliament for the constituency of St Andrew South Western.

Brown Burke, who is also a vice president of the party, secured 595 votes to Audrey Smith Facey’s 502 in the selection exercise.

The selection process, for what is said to be one of the “safest” seats for the opposition party, has been a source of controversy following Simpson Miller’s public endorsement of Brown Burke to replace her.

This drew the ire of Smith Facey who recently complained that she had met the June 23 deadline for submission of her application to contest the seat and was expecting the party to formally announce her as the candidate.

Based on the outcome of the exercise, Brown Burke, will be the PNP’s candidate to contest the upcoming by-election to succeed the former Prime Minister.

Simpson Miller, the longstanding representative for St Andrew South Western recently retired from politics, clearing the way for Sunday’s internal election.

Brown Burke, who is also a senator and councillor for the Norman Gardens Division in the constituency of Eastern Kingston and Port Royal, is expected to announce her resignation from both positions after Prime Minister Andrew Holness announces the date for a by-election.

For more on this story go to: https://caribbeannewsservice.com/now/opposition-party-selects-representative-to-replace-simpson-miller/