They were commenting on Monday's DAILY NATION report quoting "an inside source" as saying that during a meeting they had with the BLP's top brass the previous day, candidates Ian Gill, Reginald Knight and Pastor Dale Brathwaite had been asked to step aside.

The three, as well as the fourth candidate, banker Jefferson Lashley, told a news conference at the BLP's Roebuck Street headquarters yesterday that no withdrawal call had been made at the meeting.

They said the meeting had dealt only with the voting list and the need to extend the nomination so candidates could canvass BLP members who had moved into St George South this year.

BLP general secretary William Duguid said a list received from the Electoral and Boundaries Commission only last weekend showed an additional 60 members as new St George South residents.

"We have a list here at party headquarters, but some people have moved into the constituency of St George South, since the January 1 publication of the electoral list," he explained.

"The Electoral and Boundaries (Commission) would have given us a supplemental of who has moved into that constituency and of those people some were members, who cannot be disenfranchised from their opportunity to vote in the nomination.

"We did not get that list back from the [Commission] until later in the day. That is why we had to adjust (the nomination date)."

The four candidates said they had no intention of withdrawing from the race.

"I like a challenge," Knight said.

Additionally, Prime Minister Owen Arthur told the DAILY NATION yesterday: "Yes, I did meet with all four candidates and all four said they wanted more time so the list could be fully updated. The postponement was at the request of the candidates."

The new nomination date is September 17.

(TY)