Harty doing it for her party

Kaydian Harty didn’t just decide to enter representational politics out of the blue. Or orange, for that matter. After completing university, she spent 13 years working at the St Ann Municipal Corporation as public relations officer, gaining insights, seeing workable solutions to everyday problems, or otherwise; walking the fields with councillors from both sides, feeling the heartbeat of the people.

Then, telling herself that she could make a more positive difference to people’s lives, she took one of the most important steps yet in her life.

On October 17, Harty was confirmed as the People’s National Party (PNP) councillor candidate for the Claremont division in St Ann South East, replacing Lambert Weir, who has decided not to seek re-election.

Fluctuating margins

Harty enters a division that has been controlled by the PNP over the past four decades, at least, with the party winning by fluctuating margins over the period, with stalwarts such as Weir and Luther Spence flying the party flag high.

From the high of a winning margin of 2,593 in 1986 (Luther Spence, PNP – 3138; Herschel Slack, JLP 545) to a narrow victory of 291 in 1998 (Luther Spence, PNP – 1,086; Peter Fakhourie, JLP – 795) the division has remained orange, with Spence serving as councillor for over two decades.

Weir, who has been councillor for three terms dating back to 2007, had a largest winning margin of 1494 in 2012 (Lambert Weir, PNP – 1,927; Wilda Mae Wilmot – 433) but saw his margin eroded to just 304 in 2016, when an independent candidate threatened to upset the applecart. The results show Lambert Weir, PNP – 991; Wayne Simpson (Ind.) 687; Maurice Walters (JLP) 629.

Despite the PNP’s ascendancy in the division, there is work to be done and Harty, seeing that reality, still decided to take up the mantle at this late stage.

“It was something I wrestled with, prayed about, consulted with my family and friends about, and was hesitant about, but if you are familiar with my journey, you too would believe this was somewhat ordained,” Harty told The Gleaner.

Pivotal level

“I am human though and the municipal corporation (MC) has been more than my professional environment for the last 10 years. I was comfortable somewhat and I absolutely loved my job. It worked well with everything else too, my logistics, my social life, etc. However, here I was, with a burning desire to serve at a more pivotal level in local government, that became bigger than the comfort I experienced as an officer of the MC.”

Harty believes her time as an officer of the MC will boost her chances at the polls, whenever the elections are called.

“I consider myself a true product of local government. I have spent the bulk of my professional life in the municipal corporation actively serving the people of our beloved parish. The experience, exposure, the network will all augur well for me as I transition from administration to the political directorate.”

However, outside of understanding the local government landscape and the politics of it, what does this newcomer bring to the table? Will she be able to overcome perennial problems such as the poor state of the parochial road network, the lack of access to potable water, the absence of streetlights in some communities, the issue of garbage collection, the inability of some persons to access educational and training opportunities, and the lack of proper support to farmers, among other issues?

“I intend to use my knowledge of the operations of the municipal corporation, my experience working in the field as an officer of the corporation, my genuine love and passion for service and the need to see a better Jamaica as my ‘melting pot’ to move the Claremont division forward.

“I come with the experience of knowing how to do things the traditional way but being very open and accepting of possibly a different way of getting things done. I think that is very important in representational politics, especially at the local level.

“Local government may never have enough resources to function at its full capacity because there are so many needs to be met in our various communities. Things will always have to be done on a needs and priority basis due to funding or lack thereof.

“What I want, however, is for us to tap into an aspect of local government that I believe is not fully utilised and that’s the forming of formal community-based organisations that will have legal status to apply to alternative sources of funding like the JSIF and others for assistance with carrying out community projects and getting things done through community members.

“The partnership, the vision of seeing our communities moving forward without solely depending on our political representatives must become real. We must see the problems and solutions as our own and when we do that, we will become unstoppable.”