The resounding defeat of the PNP in the recent North-East St Catherine by-election has once more focused the attention of the political pundits on the future viability of the party. This is the second of such defeats and there is the strong suggestion that the others to be held in Clarendon and St Ann will fare no better for the PNP.

These defeats are particularly jarring for a party that in recent times has been seen as an election-winning machine. What might have stood as a bastion of party political acumen is now becoming a millstone around its neck: the party is neither winning elections nor does it seem placed to win any in the near future. This is the third defeat of the party at important polls since the 2007 elections. The scenario has to be a matter of grave concern to the party hierarchy. One can expect to see some serious fallout from the most recent loss.

My advice is not one that the party will be well disposed to accept since fanatical supporters of the party have told me in the past to leave "PNP business" alone, whatever that business is. But they would be well advised not to contest the other two seats, however difficult it may be not to go up against Michael Stern. They believe they have a strong chance in that Clarendon constituency and seem disposed to pull out all the stops to put up a good showing there.

Notwithstanding this, the party would be well advised to take a deep breath and prevent the loss by attrition which eventually weakens the party and chips away at its relevance to the Jamaican political community at this time. It was foolish to have contested the St Catherine seat. If they knew they did not have a fighting chance as some in the party seem to be admitting, they would not have hurt themselves by not contesting as they did contesting.

READ MORE