Former Generation 2000 Vice-President Kenneth Rowe has been selected to run against the Jamaica Labour Party's (JLP) Daryl Vaz in the West Portland by-election on March 23.

Last night, Julian Robinson, deputy general secretary of the People's National Party (PNP), confirmed Rowe would be the party's candidate. His candidacy is expected to be officially announced after a meeting of the party's executive this evening.

Rowe, a former JLP candidate, lost by 281 votes to Errol Ennis in the 2002 general election. He remained the caretaker for the constituency but switched allegiance to the PNP after Vaz was elected to represent the JLP in the 2007 general election.

After the September 3, 2007, general election, Dabdoub had filed an election petition in the Supreme Court contending that Vaz was a United States citizen and, therefore, was not entitled to be an MP because he had pledged allegiance to a foreign power.

Chief Justice Zaila McCalla heard the election petition, which lasted several weeks, and handed down a ruling in April, last year, which ousted Vaz from Parliament.

Stay of execution

The chief justice held that because Vaz had obtained a US passport as an adult and had travelled on it, he had pledged allegiance to a foreign power. She ordered that a by-election be held in the constituency.

Vaz was granted a stay of execution to remain as MP until the determination of the appeal.

Dabdoub, the appellant, claimed the chief justice erred in her ruling when she did not award the seat to him and took the issue to the Court of Appeal, which on Friday upheld the ruling.