The battle over which political party should have control of the Clarendon Municipal Corporation has entered the legal realm with the Peoples National Party caucus of councillors retaining lawyers to take the matter to court.

Minority leader Scean Barnswell said attorneys from law firm Knight Samuels and Junor have been retained.

The issue stems from the recent by-election for the Aenon Town division, which was won by PNP candidate Delroy Dawson, resulting in an even number of seats – 11 each for the PNP and the Jamaica Labour Party.

The PNP claimed that with the seat number tie and the PNP having the popular vote, the corporation should have a PNP Mayor.

However, current Mayor Joel Williams of the JLP and his colleague councillors have pointed out that the leadership of the corporation has not changed because the tie rule only applies in a local government election, not a by election.

Barnswell said he has asked Mayor Williams for a meeting to discuss the matter.

He insists that the result of the recent by-election changes the leadership of the corporation.