The island's political drama took a new twist last week when the People's National Party (PNP) landed an "accommodation offer" on the table of the National Democratic Movement (NDM). Sources told the The Sunday Gleaner that a PNP vice-president, Dr. Peter Phillips, was handling discussions along with the NDM's Brascoe Lee for an accommodation with the NDM within or aligned to the Governing PNP.

A Sunday Gleaner source described the proceedings, as being "hide and seekish at this time," but also said the offer included Brascoe Lee, a former junior minister in the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) administration of the 1980s. Lee would head the Rural Agricultural Development Agency (RADA) as executive chairman.

The governing PNP is also seeking to match what is contained in the Bruce Golding-JLP Memoran-dum of Understanding agreed to last week with the top brass of the Opposition party.

The PNP is said to promise the NDM that it will discuss constitutional reform after the October 16 general election, one of the major agenda items of the struggling third party formerly headed by Bruce Golding.

It is also understood that the PNP has agreed to pool resources, including those under the Social and Economic Support Programme (SESP), which will be made available at the constituency level. However, as with the JLP, the party has not agreed on percentage allocation over the next three years.

NDM President Hyacinth Bennett would not comment on reports of the deal with the PNP or that she has been promised a place in the Senate, if the PNP takes home the October 16 parliamentary election.

When The Sunday Gleaner contacted Mrs. Bennett, she apologised for being blunt, but made it clear that she had nothing to say. "Even if you asked me about my grandson who was just born, I have nothing to say," she emphasised.

Asked if she had nothing to say about Nomination Day tomorrow, she said: "Not even about Nomination Day. But if you want to talk about Nomination Day we have a public relations committee and a general secretary."

Another of the PNP's strategy is to provide support for NDM candidates in some constituencies, mainly those where the JLP has an advantage PNP officials were not available last night for comment. But contacted Friday night, PNP campaign director, Dr. Paul Robertson, said he was not aware of a direct offer but admitted that he has been party to unofficial discussions with members of the NDM with a view to have them join the PNP.

A release from the PNP yesterday confirmed that the organisations met to continue dialogue concerning the "integrity, credibility and principles of their respective parties and their platform ideas." They also discussed possible future collaboration in articulating these "mutually understood principles."

Bruce Golding, the former founding president of the NDM, asked on Friday about his position on NDM members who may join the PNP, said: "Those are choices that they have, when we were working together in the NDM the fact that some came from the JLP and some came from the PNP did not affect our ability to work together on those ideals that we share."

He told The Gleaner's Editors' Forum: "Those who feel that they can better pursue those goals through the PNP or JLP fine; those who think that those things don't make sense better leave it to the the JLP or PNP to do other things, that's their decision to make."

The NDM, in a meeting Friday evening at its Half-Way Tree Road offices, discussed the PNP alliance, but it could not be ascertained if a consensus was reached. However, vice-president, Appoline Reid, is reportedly not enthused by the development. The Sunday Gleaner further understands that the offer is to the NDM only, but the NDM does not want to leave its alliance partners, the Jamaica Alliance for National Unity (JANU) and the Republican Party of Jamaica out of the possible agreement.

The PNP is said to be particularly interested in reaching an arrangement with JANU president Reverend Al Miller, who is contesting the East Central St. Andrew constituency against Information Minister, the incumbent Colin Campbell. Rev. Miller said yesterday that he has heard of the talks, but has not been in any discussion on the matter.