THE FAILURE of the People's National Party (PNP) to play ball with the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) was Prime Minister Bruce Golding's main trigger in going after opposition members of parliament (MPs) Ian Hayles and Sharon Hay-Webster.

Prime Minister Bruce Golding disclosed on Friday that lawyers representing the JLP had been instructed to file constitutional motions against the PNP MPs.

"We have evidence that the question of foreign citizenship is not confined to the government side. We have given instructions to our lawyers to file constitutional motions seeking a declaration based on the same principle that was established in the Daryl Vaz case," Golding told journalists on Friday.

Senior PNP sources have confirmed that the prime minister wrote to the PNP saying that its reluctance had left him no choice than to go after Hay-Webster and Hayles.

Proposal made

Well-placed sources in both parties said that the proposal was for Gregory Mair, Michael Stern and Shahine Robinson to renounce their allegiance to a foreign power so as to not continue compromising the integrity of Parliament. In return, the PNP would not contest the seats.

However, when Mair admitted in court that he had been in breach of the Constitution and was booted by the court, the PNP selected Granville Valentine to compete against Mair.

On Friday, a highly placed PNP official said that the PNP had not fully agreed to the JLP's no-challenge proposal.

"There were discussions and there was a proposal, but it was never consummated," the official said.

The Sunday Gleaner understands that at the heart of the dispute is the North West Clarendon seat which is now represented by Stern.

Party sources on both sides of the political divide said that the PNP was very confident that Richard Azan could beat Stern in a by-election and, as a result, they are going forward with plans to have the incumbent MP unseated whenever the by-election for the constituency is announced.

Stern beat Azan by 933 votes in the September 2007 general election.

Driven by emotions

On Friday, Opposition Leader Portia Simpson Miller hinted that the prime minister might be driven by emotions with regard to the filing of the constitutional motions.

"Had I been prime minister, I would have said it long ago and not waited until now ... . I know why Mr Golding is sending this kind of message," Simpson Miller said.

Meanwhile, Hayles, who renounced his US citizenship, is also under threat from the constitutional motions.

Hayles had said previously that he had begun the process of renouncing his allegiance to a foreign power before nomination day for the September 2007 general election; however, documents from United States authorities indicated that he was a US citizen even after the general election.

Hayles won the 2007 election over the JLP's Donovan Hamilton by 173 votes.

The Sunday Gleaner understands that a prominent executive director of a state agency has taken an interest in challenging Hayles for the West Hanover seat, should there be a by-election.

daraine.luton@gleanerjm.com