Daraine Luton, Staff Reporter

NORTH WEST Clarendon could head to the poll as early as August to vote in a by-election for the constituency, government sources have said.

Michael Stern, the sitting member of parliament, is bracing for disqualification in the court as a result of having sworn allegiance to the United States of America - a foreign power.

Under the Constitution, persons who have sworn allegiance to a foreign power on their own act are disqualified from sitting as a parliamentarian.

Stern told The Sunday Gleaner that he had already signed documents declaring that he was in breach of the Constitution at the time of being nominated and elected to the House of Representatives.

He said that the aim of the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) is to have the cases dealt with as soon as possible.

"We are negotiating to hold most of those cases and do the elections early," Stern told The Sunday Gleaner last week.

"The prime minister is in a haste to try and end these cases. The Government wants to try and end these cases to get on with the running of the people's business," Stern added.

The Sunday Gleaner understands that the negotiations involve settling the issue of cost with the plaintiff, Richard Azan.

VOTERS WILL SPEAK

But the issue of cost is not the only one that Azan hopes to settle with Stern. Despite being tight-lipped about his chances, should there be a by-election, Azan said that it would be the voters on the ground who would speak for him.

"At this point, I don't wish to speak on the matter. I have some things doing and I am doing them, and that is all I am prepared to say for now," Azan said.

Stern, meanwhile, has said that he believes the strategy of the PNP is to come after his seat when the by-election is held.

"They believe that I am the easiest target and will (pull out all the stops in) the election for me; but I know that they will not win," Stern said.

Leading up to the 2007 general election, Azan, who was then minister of state in the Ministry of Housing, Transport, Water and Works in the last PNP administration, benefited from several visits to his constituency by Simpson Miller, who was then prime minister.

When the people voted, Azan lost three of the four divisions - Thompson Town, 1,379 to 1,556; Frankfield, 1,637 to 2,549; and, Ritches, 1,702 to 1,931. He won Spaldings with 2,177 to Stern's 1,792, and added an overall 334 votes to his 2002 general election total.

An additional 2,000 electors were registered to vote in the 2007 general election.

PNP insiders have said that Azan has added over 900 new voters to the list in the constituency and is in pole position to tumble Stern.

Despite the exuberance of the PNP and the mounting confidence surrounding unseating him, Stern has said that he is not afraid.

"From the days of the National Democratic Movement until now, mi nuh lef dat ground. They are making a mistake. I am not vulnerable," Stern said.