THE contents of the cheap, smelly fertiliser imported from the United States was the butt of joke at a People's National Party (PNP) mass rally in West Portland on Friday night.

Discussions on crime and the difficult economic times facing the country took a back seat, as several PNP officials made the now controversial matter the major issue during their address to a large and appreciative crowd of local and regional comrades.

Party leader Portia Simpson Miller with PNP West Portland candidate Kenneth Rowe. (Photos: Everard Owen)

The rally is part of the party's campaign programme for the upcoming by-election in the constituency.

The by-election became necessary when the Jamaica Labour Party's (JLP's) Daryl Vaz was disqualified from sitting in the House after he was found to be in possession of United States citizenship at the time of his election in September 2007.

Then PNP candidate, Abe Dabdoub, took the matter to court, and was successful in having Vaz removed, but was unsuccessful in his bid to be installed in the seat.

The Supreme Court and later the Appeal Court upheld the decision for a by-election. Jurisdiction on the matter ends in the Appeal Court.

The PNP's KD Rowe was on Friday nominated to contest the seat, going up against the JLP's Vaz, who was again nominated, and the Jamaica Alliance Movement's Ras Astor Black.

On Friday night, Roger Clarke, the man who set off the firestorm in Parliament when he asked Agriculture Minister Christopher Tufton to say what the contents of the fertiliser were, was most vocal.

"All my life I have been a farmer, and I know fertiliser from shaving cream (faeces)..." Clarke said, to much laughter and reaction from the crowd, which had gathered in the constituency from early morning for the nomination of the party's candidate KD Rowe.

Clarke reeled off the list of questions he said he had asked Minister Tufton for the last two months, and also the minister's responses. At the end of the day, the minister was forced to admit that the fertiliser contained bio-solids which were the remnants of human faecal matter.

Clarke raised questions about the matter of safety for the farmers, who mainly used manual labour to distribute fertiliser.

While stating that there is no evidence that farmers may be negatively affected, Clarke said the integrity of foods produced using this fertiliser must be the main focus.

"I bet you this is going to be the last of this shaving cream that will be sent to Jamaica," said Clarke, who had overstayed his time on the platform.

He left the stage, asking the comrades to ask the government who brought the fertiliser here, and who brought the people - who are now defending the honour of the fertiliser - here.

Party president Portia Simpson Miller, for her part, also spoke to the issue of the fertiliser and reiterated some of the comments previously raised.

Responding to the JLP's Vaz, who had referred to Rowe as a "redundant labourite", she said, "If there is any labourite redundant is you, because you sat in the House of Parliament when you had no right to do so."

Dr Peter Phillips, who was in the constituency all day, reminded comrades that Friday was the anniversary of their beloved former leader Michael Manley, who died in 1997.

He spoke to the hardship the country was facing, in the education and health sectors, and said the government foisted themselves as the answer for all of the country's problems. Now, under pressure, he suggested, the PNP is being blamed for all of their failures to deliver on their promises.

He had a message for the JLP. "If you can't manage de heat, look some wey fi go siddung and cool off."

SOMEONE TELL ME THE HONEST TRUTH.......DOESN'T ROWE LOOK LIKE A TELETUBBY