( L - R ) Samuda, Bunting

A $49-million legal fee is preventing the two major political parties from inking a deal to finally put to rest the political uncertainties generated by the spate of by-elections.

Insiders say the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) wants the People's Na-tional Party (PNP) to ask Abe Dab-doub to slash the legal costs incurred in the dual-citizen-ship court duel with Daryl Vaz from $49 million to $5 million.

However, the PNP says it is not in a position to do so as the money is not owed to Dab-doub, but his team of attorneys who represented him in the landmark case.

Money for lawyers

When contacted, Dabdoub reiterated that the money would not be going into his pockets and argued that he could not ask his attorneys to accept reduced fees.

It is understood that JLP General Secretary Karl Samuda and PNP Chairman Robert Pickersgill are to meet to finalise the deal in short order.

The two parties appeared to be in a hurry, early in the week, to sign off on the deal, following feverish consultations involving party officials, a highly placed source in the Opposition People's National Party (PNP) told The Gleaner.

That source said the deal was brokered after the talks between Samuda and PNP General Secretary Peter Bunting, respectively, were taken to another level to involve Pickersgill and JLP Chairman Dr Kenneth Baugh.

Sore issue

However, just before a deal could be reached, the sore issue of the $49-million legal fees owed to attorneys was raised.

Vaz has been ordered by the court to pay Dabdoub's legal costs after the latter succeeded in overturning the nomination and election in which the JLP West Portland candidate was victorious.

The costs incurred in the North East St Catherine court battle between the JLP's Gregory Mair and the PNP's Phyllis Mitchell have not been revealed, but are expected to be considerably less than those for the West Portland case.

gary.spaulding@gleanerjm.com