The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Peoples National Party (PNP) has given the go ahead for a run off involving 3 candidates to succeed Portia Simpson Miller as Member of Parliament for South West St. Andrew.

The decision was made during today’s (July 22) meeting of the NEC at the University of the West Indies.

Those contesting to replace Simpson Miller are Audrey Smith-Facey, Karl Blake and Dr. Angela Brown Burke.

The selection will take place next Sunday July 30.

The contentious matter of who will become the new MP for South West St. Andrew reportedly escalated today, as tempers flared between representatives of the Smith Facey and Brown Burke camps.

Its reported that Party President Dr. Peter Phillips had some difficulty in restoring calm and order to todays meeting.

The contention arose from earlier reports that Dr. Brown Burke has been endorsed by Simpson Miller as her replacement.

This has not gone down well with the campaign team for Smith Facey, who called on the party executive to quickly settle the candidate issue.

Ms. Smith-Facey, the councillor for the Payneland division was one of two people nominated in June. The other was councillor Karl Blake of the Greenwich Town division.