Battle looms in St Ann as local gov’t polls near

THE JAMAICA Labour Party (JLP), with 11 divisions to the People’s National Party (PNP) five, is confident of maintaining control of the St Ann Municipal Corporation in the upcoming local government election, while the PNP is expecting a swing that will again give them the upper hand in the municipality.

A swing is not far-fetched, based on the results since the turn of the century, which overall, in four elections, have seen the JLP capture a total of 34 divisions to the PNP’s 30.

Over the period, the JLP has gained control of the council twice, the PNP once and the third ended in an 8-8 tie. Now the PNP is trying to play catch-up.

In June 2003, the JLP took control with a 10-6 margin, while in December 2007 the 8-8 deadlock saw the JLP holding chairmanship position and the PNP the deputy.

The next election in March 2012 saw the PNP completing the turnaround to win 11-5, a margin that the JLP successfully turned around in their favour in the last election in November 2016.

Despite the wide margin of victory for the JLP then, several divisions were won by small majorities, the closest being Delroy Kelly’s 20-vote win over incumbent, the PNP’s Lloyd Garrick (837-817) in the Moneague division in South East St Ann. Then there was Mayor Sydney Stewart’s 99 votes win in defeating the PNP’s Esther Lewis Wauchope (1,521-1422) in the Bamboo division, and Kim Brown-Lawrence’s 136 votes win over then incumbent, the PNP’s Delroy Redway (1,133-997) in the Brown’s Town division, both in North West St Ann.

There was also Paul McFarlane’s 124 votes win over Oliver Newby (1,070-946) to give the PNP victory in the Calderwood division, in South West St Ann.

The JLP controls all four divisions in North East St Ann, with Ian Isaacs in Exchange, Genevor Gordon Bailey in Lime Hall, Michael Belnavis in Ocho Rios and Dalas Dickenson in St Ann’s Bay.

The Gleaner spoke with first-time councillor Isaacs about his chances of retaining the division, which he won by 1,150 votes over the PNP’s Orville Scott (1,663-513) in 2016.

“It’s all up to the people to see the work that was done and the value of the representation that was put in; it’s all up to the people,” Isaacs said.

“I believe that we (JLP) should retain the council, I believe that all councillors including the five PNP councillors all did their best.”

In terms of numbers, Isaacs believes that there is a possibility of gains on either side but maintains that he sees a JLP victory in St Ann.

Lime Hall’s Gordon confident

Councillor for the Lime Hall division, Gordon Bailey, is confident that the JLP will increase its majority by one or two divisions, on the back of her keeping Lime Hall.

“I am confident that I will retain the Lime Hall division. I believe that in the last five years I would have proven to the people who entrusted in me as their councillor that I am capable enough to represent them on the local government platform,” said Gordon Bailey, who had beaten former PNP Mayor Desmond Gilmore 1,665 to 985 to win Lime Hall in 2016.

She added: “I am confident that we will retain the council with more (divisions) based on the works being carried out in all 11 divisions that are with the JLP. I believe that councillors would have done enough to retain (their divisions) in the next election and I believe there are some divisions that the JLP has strong grounds in that could be to our favour.”

Since 2003, the JLP’s Dalas Dickenson has been the councillor for the St Ann’s Bay division and he expects that after the upcoming elections he will remain in the position, following his 2,228 to 1,340 win over the PNP’s Colville Coombs in 2016.

Dickenson expects, too, that the JLP will increase its control from the current 11 divisions.

“I have no doubt about retaining the division and it is based really on performance in the various communities,” Dickenson reasoned.

“I expect that the JLP will be returned, I’m expecting with one or two other divisions, a larger majority, based on the trend, as I’ve been around the parish, most of the other divisions,” he added.

Dickenson will be up against PNP newcomer Nathaniel ‘Mickey’ Lawrence, whose views differed.

“I expect to see the majority PNP in the council and I intend to be one of those,” Lawrence declared.

According to Lawrence: “I’m not doing this because I believe or think I can win, I know I can win. For 22 years, we’ve been out of power in the St Ann’s Bay division and the people of the St Ann’s Bay division are fed up and tired of the misrepresentation that is being handed down by the Jamaica Labour Party, and I get complaints every day while I’m on the road.”

As a point, Lawrence said of the 16 fire hydrants in St Ann’s Bay, only two are working.

In South East St Ann, where there are three PNP councillors to one JLP, an alleged spilt between PNP candidate for the Moneague division Lloyd Garrick and Member of Parliament Lisa Hanna led to an independent entering the contest and reportedly splitting the votes in 2016, affording JLP candidate Delroy Kelly the victory. The final count read: Delroy Kelly (JLP) 837; Lloyd Garrick (PNP) 817; and Vernon Williams (Ind.) 789.

Garrick is back and expects to win this time around, having previously been a councillor for the division from 2003 to 2016.

He declined to comment on the status of his relationship with Hanna but said:

“There was a split the last time around and we believe all things being equal, we should comfortably win.

“But we’re taking nothing for granted,” he added, “we’re doing the work and we’re engaging the voters in the different communities. Most of them know me already because I was there for over 13 years.”

Regarding the PNP minority in the municipality, Garrick stated: “We are expecting to win back the council, turn it around. I think the candidates are on the ground and the party is getting some good feedback and the momentum is climbing so we believe we can safely take back the corporation.”

It is unclear if there will be an independent candidate in Moneague in the upcoming polls.

Elsewhere in South East St Ann, Lambert Weir is holding true to his word not to seek re-election in the Claremont division, which, like Moneague, saw an independent contesting in 2016. Weir, however, prevailed then, by 991, to the JLP’s Maurice Walters, 629 and Wayne Simpson (Ind) 687.

Ricardo Riley, who will contest the seat for the PNP in the upcoming polls, could not be reached for comments.

Richards’ change of heart

Lydia Richards of the Bensonton division, whose public spats with Hanna have been well documented, has had a change of heart and will in fact be running once again. Her 1,324 to 631 victory over the JLP’s Maxine Simpson in 2016 should give her confidence in the upcoming polls.

Meanwhile, Ian Bell, a former Hanna ally and councillor for the Beecher Town division in South East St Ann, is confident of winning a fourth consecutive term whenever the election is called.

“I expect nothing less than what has been the trend; I am hoping by the grace of God that I will be victorious with an increased majority over the last poll,” Bell told The Gleaner. He defeated the JLP’s Wilda Wilmot by459 votes last time around, securing 1,217 votes to Wilmot’s 758.

He also believes that the PNP can turn around the 11-5 majority held by the JLP and regain control of the St Ann Municipal Corporation once again.

“Well, I didn’t expect 11-5 in 2016; so it can very well be a right about turn again,” he pointed out.

“Based on predictions, based on the non-performance of several of the sitting councillors and based on the momentum that is being developed now, I’m thinking that we could have a swing from the Jamaica Labour Party to the People’s National Party,” he added.

carl.gilchrist@gleanerjm.com